Old Bard, New Tricks
by superzombiedestroyer123
Summary: We all know that Leliana's a pretty good companion. But what were to happen if it was a little different? What would it be like if Leliana were a Grey Warden herself?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **Hello, everyone! This is my attempt at a long Leliana x Morrigan romance fic. I'd love to hear some feedback on the first chapter, and I'll see you all lovelies at the bottom!**

 **!**

Leliana stood in a small tavern in Lothering, waiting for some sort of sign from the Maker himself. Her last dream had been rather vague compared to the others she'd had, but she distinctly remembered this place standing out as somewhere she needed to be.

She thought back to what little she could interpret from the dream.

 _...A sign with the small village's name on it..._

 _...Two sets of armour, silver and gold..._

 _...A thunderous sound, like the marching of a thousand hellish nightmares..._

 _...Eyes, yellow and catlike, standing out from the darkness..._

But the young bard knew nothing of what any of this meant. So she sat, sipping a small cup of water by the fire, waiting for the answers to come to her, as they usually did.

Well, except for the fact they never came in such a literal sense.

 **!**

A man walked in just then, black hair tied back, and a beard that looked to have been trimmed neatly. Following him was another man, with long, fair looking blond hair, with a slight bit of stubble. He was accompanied on either side by armed guards.

What struck Leliana most about the two was their armour.

 _...Two sets of armour, silver and gold..._

Leliana jumped from her seat and practically ran to the two.

"Excuse me sirs!" She started, nearly tripping over her chantry robes.

Immediately, the two guards drew their swords, ready to strike.

The man with the golden armour laughed, and waived them off. They put their weapons away, but eyed Leliana with wary looks.

"Hello, Madame! King Cailan, at your service." The man, Cailan, nodded his head to her. She immediately bowed, embarrassed. Here he was, the king of Ferelden, and she'd made a fool of herself already.

"My companion over there is a Grey Warden. His name's Duncan."

She bowed again to Duncan, and he met her with a kind smile, before speaking.

"What do you need, child?"

She straightened up, looking him in the eyes.

"I. I-I do not know what sort of quest you are on. But I need to be a part of it, Ser Duncan." Leliana tried to sound confident, at least.

Duncan looked her over quizzically.

"And just how do you know we're on a quest?" He asked, crossing his arms.

Leliana swallowed, her hands growing sweaty.

"You will think me insane, but I. The Maker showed me. In a vision."

Both men looked surprised, and the guards drew their swords once more.

"Do you truly believe this, miss..?" Duncan asked, seemingly staring into the woman's soul.

Leliana's gaze became steel. "Leliana. And I do. More than anything."

Duncan's face softened at that, and he smiled once again.

"Well, you may be right, or you may be touched in the head. Either way, we _do_ need more Grey Wardens to fight off the darkspawn at Ostagar. What say you? How are your fighting skills?"

Leliana beamed. "I accept! Don't worry about me, I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Very well. Head south, to Ostagar. You'll make a fine Grey Warden, Leliana."

 **!**

 **And I'm gonna end it there! I could go on for a while, but then this chapter would be waaaay too long.**

 **Thoughts? Feedback? Please leave me a review on what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **Hello again, everyone! I apologize for the short chapters. My phone can't seem to upload anything much longer. I apologize for the inconvenience. Also, I just published the first chapter yesterday, but I got really excited. So here ya go.**

 **Here's the next chapter, and I'll see you at the bottom!**

 **!**

She arrived at Ostagar, the massive castle ruins much different than the warm walls of the Chantry. It looked like it had seen many battles, yet had so many more to come.

She went through the stone arch, and found Duncan once more, talking to a young elf mage.

The mage had long, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to follow her every move.

"Ser. It's good to see you again." Leliana said, looking down at her feet nervously.

"You mustn't be nervous, Leliana. As I said. You'll make a fine Grey Warden." He said kindly, turning to her.

"Now then. This is one of your fellow initiates, Xavier Surana. Xavier, this is Leliana."

Xavier looked Leliana up and down. She seemed to be small and unassuming. He scoffed.

"A pleasure." Xavier said sarcastically.

"Nice to meet you." Leliana said, not sure how to respond.

"If you don't mind, _girl,_ Duncan and I were discussing something very important." He said, turning his back to her.

Leliana thought back to when she was a bard, and how she would've stabbed him the second his back was turned.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts. She would be fighting alongside him soon enough, and now was not the time to judge.

Duncan gave her an apologetic smile, which she returned, then went back to whatever discussion he was having with Xavier.

Leliana decided, in the meantime, to explore the camp a bit more.

 **!**

Leliana wandered through another stone archway, and up a small incline, following the path of apparent arguing.

"Haven't the Grey Wardens asked enough of the Circle?" An average looking mage asked another apparent Grey Warden.

"I've been sent by the Revered Mother to seek you out, Ser Mage." The Warden responded.

"What her Reverence "desires" is of no concern to me. I am here helping the Grey Wardens by the _king's orders_ I might add _."_ The mage responded indignantly.

"Should I have asked her to write a note, then?" The Warden responded sarcastically, a smirk on his face.

That only seemed to make the mage angrier.

"Tell her I will _not_ be harassed in this manner!"

The Warden scoffed.

"Yes. _I was_ harassing _you_ bydelivering a message" he replied.

"Your glibness does you no credit."

"Here I thought we were getting along so well! I was even going to name one of my children after you...the _grumpy_ one."

Leliana chuckled at that.

"I will speak to her if I must. Get out of my way, fool." And with that, the mage walked away.

The Grey Warden noticed Leliana's presence and walked over to her.

"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together." He told her sarcastically.

Leliana laughed, and thought back to Xavier from moments ago.

"I know exactly what you mean."

"It's like a party! We could all get together and hold hands! That'd give the darkspawn something to think about, wouldn't it?" He looked away, pretending to be wistful about the idea.

"Where are my manners? My name's Alistair. You're not a mage, are you? I seem to be striking out with them lately. I do wonder why." He asked with a genuine smile.

Leliana laughed again. She liked this man.

"No, I'm no mage. I come from Lothering. My name's Leliana. I'm here to become a Grey Warden." They shook hands.

"I remember Duncan talking about you. The recruit from Lothering who has visions. I should've recognized you sooner, I apologize." He said seriously.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all." Leliana replied.

"Well, as the junior member of the Grey Wardens, I'll be accompanying you and your fellow initiates when you prepare for The Joining." He told her.

"The Joining? Is that some sort of initiation?" Leliana asked.

"Of sorts, yes. Whenever you're ready to get started, let's return to Duncan. I'm sure he's ready by now." Alistair replied.

With a nod of her head to confirm that she was ready, the two set off through the camp.

 **!**

On their way back, the duo was stopped by a soldier near the kennels.

"Excuse me, miss, but could you help me out? One of the Mabari ingested some darkspawn blood. I'd ask his owner, but he died in combat not too long ago." The soldier, apparently the Kennel Master, asked.

Leliana nodded her head.

"Of course. What do you need me to do?"

The Kennel Master handed her a muzzle.

"I just need you to put this on him so that I can apply some medicine."

He opened the kennel door for her, and she made her way inside.

She was immediately cornered by a massive looking Mabari. Over the fence of the kennel, Alistair drew his sword, prepared to go in and defend her.

Leliana locked eyes with him and shook her head. She then returned to the animal, who seemed to be analyzing her.

Tentatively, Leliana reached her hand out for the hound to sniff. He inched closer towards her, growling if she made any moves. He sniffed her hand suspiciously.

After a few tense moments, the Mabari rubbed his head against her hand, and she began to soothingly pet his head.

Leliana took a closer look at the dog. It seemed to be in a lot of pain, and had dark marks slashing up and down it's fur.

She bent down, and began to talk to the Mabari.

"Hello, friend. I know that this will be a bit uncomfortable, but I have to put this muzzle on you so that the nice man outside can give you some medicine. I know medicine isn't fun to take, but I promise it will make you feel better." She said soothingly.

The Mabari whimpered, but put his face in her hands, allowing her to put the muzzle on him with no complaint.

"Thank you. We will have you feeling better in no time, I'm sure of it!" She said enthusiastically. The hound barked and wagged his tail feebly.

Upon exiting the kennel, the Kennel Master spoke to her.

"Thank you. Do you mind if I ask just a bit more of you?"

"Of course not. What do you need?"

"Well, if you're going out into the Wilds, there's a flower, it's white with a blood red center. I need it for a medicine to help the Mabari. Would you get it for me?" He asked her.

"Sure! I'll keep an eye out for it if I go out."

"Excellent! You know, he quite likes you. Come see me after the fight, and we'll see about imprinting him onto you." The Kennel Master said cheerfully.

Leliana nodded her head, and she and Alistair headed for Duncan once more.

 **!**

 **And that's that! As I said before, I do apologize for the chapter's being short, but I can't seem to be able to upload larger chunks for some reason. Anyways, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, and I'll see you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter** **Three**

 **Hello, everyone! Chapter three here! I don't really think I have anything to say here, so. Yeah. See us at the bottom!**

 **!**

Alistair and Leliana walked up to a massive fire blazing in the middle of camp. Duncan stood with his back to it, facing the other Grey Warden initiates. There were three, not counting Leliana. Two she didn't recognize, and Xavier.

Duncan nodded to the two.

"Good. You're here. Now we may begin. That is, if you're done harassing mages, Alistair?"

Alistair looked at Duncan sheepishly.

"My apologies, but the Revered Mother cornered me. With the way she wields guilt, they should stick her in the army."

Duncan sighed.

"She forced you to sass the mage, did she? We cannot afford to antagonize anyone, Alistair. We don't need to give anyone more ammunition against us." He told him sternly, as a father would while scolding a child.

Alistair sighed.

"I apologize, Duncan. I brought our last recruit." He motioned to Leliana.

"Leliana, this is Ser Jory, a knight from Redcliffe." He motioned to the taller, rounder man next to her.

"How do you do?" He asked, nodding to her. She waved.

Alistair turned to the thinner initiate, who had a light coat of stubble on his face.

"And this is Daveth, a...fellow...from Denerim." He stated.

"Yep. That's me. I'm a fellow." Daveth said, waving to her. She returned the gesture once more.

"And I've heard you met Xavier already."

The elf pointedly ignored her, and she once again thought how nice his face might look with a dagger sticking out of it.

She tuned in to Duncan, shaking off her thoughts once more.

"Now then. Since you're here, we can all begin. You five will be heading into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain four vials of darkspawn blood, to be used in The Joining. One for each recruit. The second" he started, turning to Alistair.

"There's an old Grey Warden outpost in the Wilds. They contain documents that we will need. They should be protected by magic, in a chest somewhere in the ruins."

He turned back to the initiates.

The documents contain treaties we can use in the days to come. Now then, any questions?" He asked.

They all shook their heads.

"Good. Be on your way then."

 **!**

The five wandered through the Wilds, their blades dripping with blood from the wolf pack they had just dispatched of.

"So. You're a fellow?" Leliana joked with Daveth.

He smiled. "Alistair doesn't really like me. I think it's the way we first met."

Upon seeing Leliana's quizzical look, he continued.

"I was a thief back in Denerim. Fastest one in the bloody city. I'd cut the purse off of Duncan, and ran with it. The guards caught me, and we're right about to lead me to the garrison, when Duncan stepped in. He used the Right of Conscription and freed me. Gave those guards the finger on the way out." He chuckled.

Leliana laughed as well. She turned to Ser Jory.

"What about you?" She asked him.

"I have a wife and daughter back in Redcliffe. I figured the best way to defend them from this Blight would be to stop it here." He replied.

"That's quite noble of you. I look forward to fighting at your side." Leliana told him.

 **!**

The five walked a small distance, until they came across a wounded soldier.

"Just leave him here! He is of no use to us." Xavier said. Alistair glared at him before bending down to talk to the man.

"What happened?"

The soldier coughed up a bit of blood, holding his stomach.

"My...my scouting party was attacked by darkspawn. They. They came out of nowhere!" He wheezed out.

Leliana knelt next to him. "If I patch you up, do you think you could make it to Ostagar? It's just a small distance."

The man was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Leliana moved his hands gently from his stomach. He seemed to have been caught by an arrow, yet it stopped any internal bleeding he might have had. She opted to keep the arrow in place until he got to a healer, and got to work on the area around it.

Leliana pulled a lesser health poultice from her pack, pouring it onto some bandages and wrapping the bandages around the wound, being mindful of the arrow.

When she was done, she helped the soldier to his feet.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, her hand on his back.

"Better. I should be able to make it. Thank you." He smiled at her, and slowly made his way back.

"That was a waste of supplies, you _stupid_ human!" Xavier said scornfully.

"It is never a waste to save someone's life. That is what the Chantry teaches, and that is what being a Grey Warden is all about." Leliana replied evenly.

Alistair nodded his approval.

Ser Jory suddenly stopped and put his head in his hands.

"He said they came out of nowhere! How are we supposed to fight things we can't even see?" He panicked.

Alistair sighed. "That's the reason I'm here. Once you go through The Joining, you can sense darkspawn. None of them are going to sneak up on us, I assure you." He tried to soothe them.

Daveth looked to Jory. "That's right. We'll be able to _feel_ our death coming." He patted Jory's back reassuringly.

Jory's face went pale, and he said nothing more. Leliana sighed, and turned to the path.

That's when she spotted the flower. It was exactly how the Kennel Master had described it, white with a blood red center. She rushed over and picked it immediately, placing it in it's own compartment in her pack.

Xavier snorted. "Exactly like a woman to be picking flowers instead of finishing the mission."

Leliana furrowed her brow. "I told the Kennel Master that I'd find this flower so he can use it in a medicine for one of the Mabari."

Xavier's mouth opened to reply, but Alistair cut him off.

"That's very nice of you Leliana. Now then, let's go, yeah?" He rushed out, walking further into the Wilds.

Leliana followed close behind, not wanting to start an argument with the mage.

 **!**

 **And there we go! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story! I'll see us next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter** **Four**

 **This was originally going to be part of the pervious chapter, but that didn't really work out. Enjoy it now, instead!**

 **!**

"There! That's the Grey Warden camp!" Alistair yelled, pointing to a massive set of ruins.

Leliana put her foot to the chest of the Glenlock Emissary she'd just killed, using it as leverage to rip her dagger out of it's chest. She pulled a vial from her pack and let the blood from her dagger drip into the vial. She then caught up to Alistair, who was searching through a broken chest.

"They're not here! Where could they be?" He asked exasperatedly to no one in particular.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" A voice drifted from slightly above them to their ears.

Leliana turned, and was met with a sight as beautiful as Andraste herself.

It was a woman, wearing a rather revealing choice of clothing. She had robes that only covered her breasts, leaving a large gap in the middle, sides, and back, revealing smooth, porcelain skin. She wore a black leather skirt and boots, and had her hair up, save for her bangs, that brushed into her eyes ever so slightly.

Her eyes...

 _...Eyes, yellow and catlike, standing out from the darkness..._

Leliana gasped inaudibly.

The mysterious woman walked down the staircase she started on.

"Are you a scavenger, I wonder? A vulture, picking at a corpse who's bones have long since been picked clean?"

She walked closer to Leliana, locking eyes with her. The bard shivered under her gaze.

"Or an intruder, come into these darkspawn-filled Wilds of mine in search of easy prey?"

She stopped, a few feet away from Leliana.

"What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?"

Leliana opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Xavier.

"Stay back, witch! We want nothing to do with you!" He snarled, pushing Leliana out of the way.

She stumbled to the ground, and the woman's eyes followed her, before turning to glare at the elf.

"I don't recall asking you, elf. I remember asking the more intelligent looking member of your group."

Xavier blushed in embarrassment, and stepped back. Leliana got up to her feet, and looked at the woman once more, dusting herself off.

"We are neither. We are Grey Wardens. This tower belonged to us, and we've come to find something of importance." Leliana said as evenly as she could.

The woman's mouth formed a smirk.

"'Tis a tower no longer, my dear. This desiccated corpse has been claimed back by the Wilds ages ago." She walked away from the group, still speaking.

"I have watched your progress for some time. 'Why are they here?' I wondered. 'What do they seek?'" She turned once more to the Wardens.

"And now, you disturb ashes none have touched for so long. Why is that?" She once again looked at Leliana.

Alistair brought Leliana back to him with a hand to her shoulder.

"Don't listen to her. She looks Chasind, and that means there are others nearby-"

"You fear barbarians swooping down upon you?" The woman asked, throwing her hands up in the air exaggeratedly.

Alistair looked at her suspiciously.

"Yes. Swooping is bad."

Daveth looked at him

"She's the Witch of the Wilds, she is. She'll turn us into toads!" He was clearly panicking.

The woman laughed.

"Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fantasies. Have you no minds of your own?"

She spoke directly to Leliana.

"You there. You do not look like the rest of these frightened little boys. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine." She all but commanded.

Leliana summoned all of her courage.

"My name is Leliana, Madame. It is a pleasure to meet you." Leliana said politely, bowing slightly.

"Now that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the Wilds. The pleasure is mine, Leliana. You may call me Morrigan." The woman, Morrigan, gave a small now in return.

She addressed the group.

"Shall I guess your purpose? You were searching that chest for something of importance? Something that is here no longer?" She asked knowingly.

"Here no longer? You stole them, didn't you? You're some kind of...sneaky...witch-thief!" Alistair accused.

Morrigan chuckled.

"How very eloquent. How does one steal from dead men?" She asked him.

"Quite easily, it seems. Those documents are Grey Warden property, and I suggest you return them." Alistair threatened.

Morrigan's patience appeared to be wearing thin.

"I will not. 'Twas not I who took them. Invoke a name that means nothing here, if you wish. I am not threatened."

Xavier started up again.

"Then who removed them, woman?" He spat.

Morrigan wasn't fazed.

"'Twas my mother, in fact."

Xavier seemed to deflate.

"Your mother?"

"Yes, my mother. Did you assume I spawned from a log?" She asked, pacing.

"A thieving, weird talking log, perhaps." Alistair jabbed.

"Not all that grows in the Wilds is bad. Flowers grow, as well as toads." She looked into the Wilds wistfully, before turning once again to Leliana.

"I will take you to my mother, if you wish. 'Tis not far from here, and you may ask her for your papers, if you wish."

Alistair looked at the bard.

"We should get those papers. We need them. But I dislike the sudden appearance of this, Morrigan, character."

Leliana turned to Morrigan once more. She seemed to be slightly irritated that they were talking about her like she wasn't there.

"I. I think I trust her. If she wished us harm, I have no doubt that she would've struck us down by now. She seems more than capable of such."

Morrigan smiled approvingly.

"Come along, then. 'Tis this way."

 **!**

 **To the guest who left me the review regarding Leliana and her disapproval towards violence, to be honest, I didn't really notice, since I never really chose the violent options. But the way I tried to write it is like, she had that background as a murderer, so she's still trying to fight off intrusive violent thoughts and to be a straight laced chantry sister.**

 **Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! See ya next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again, everyone! I'm sorry about that last upload. That happens to my** **files sometimes, and I'm not quite sure why. Anyways, this'll be a short chapter, but I'll update sooner because of that! See ya at the bottom!**

 **!**

"The group walked a short distance, then made it to a small hut, where an old woman stood outside.

"Greetings, mother. I bring before you five Grey Wardens who-"

"I see who they are, child." She looked at the Wardens.

"Hmm. Much as I expected."

Alistair laughed incredulously. "Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" He asked.

The woman looked at him. "You are required to believe nothing. Shut one's eyes tight, open one's arms wide; either way, one's a fool!" She spoke mystically.

"She's a witch, she is. We shouldn't be talking to her!" Daveth whisper-yelled. Jory smacked him upside the head.

"Quiet, Daveth! If she's a witch, do you really want to make her mad?" He said back.

"There's a smart lad. Sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, but still. Believe what you will." The woman walked closer to Leliana, whom everyone seemed to be cowered behind.

"What about you? You seem to be the leader here. Does that give you a different viewpoint? What do you believe?"

Leliana chose her next words carefully.

"I. I do not know what to believe, Madame."

"A statement that shows more wisdom than you think. Be always aware. Or is it oblivious? I can never remember."

She went on. "So much of you seems to be shrouded in mystery. And yet, I believe. Do I? It seems I do." She spoke more to herself than to anyone.

Alistair cut in nervously. "Soooo. This is a dreaded Witch of the Wilds?" He asked.

"Witch of the Wilds, eh? Morrigan must've told you that. She does love her fantasies. Oh how she dances under the moon!" The woman laughed, and Morrigan ducked her head in embarrassment.

Leliana had an image of herself and Morrigan intrude into her thoughts suddenly, of waltzing under the moonlight, their lips inches from one another's, reaching closer and closer until-

"They did not come to hear such wild tales, mother." Morrigan cut in.

"True. They came for their treaties. And before you go barking about how I stole them, your precious seals wore off long ago. I have protected these." She said, handing the documents to Leliana, who seemed to be the only one brave enough to maintain a close distance with the woman.

"You!...oh. You protected them?" Alistair asked.

"And why not? Take them back to your camp and tell you armies that this Blight's threat is greater than they realize!" The woman spoke seriously.

"Thank you for returning them, Madame." Leliana said, nodding her head.

"Such manners! And always in the last place you'd look. Like stockings." The woman again seemed to speak to herself. The initiates gave her strange looks, which she noticed.

"Oh. Do not mind me." She laughed.

"There. You have what you came for. Now you may go." Morrigan said.

The woman seemed to sober up at that. "Do not be ridiculous, child. These are your guests." She scolded.

"Very well. I will show you out of the woods. Follow me." She sighed.

And with that, the group set off back to camp.

 **!**

 **Another chapter down! I hope you enjoyed this latest installment, and I'll see you again next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **For the record, my fellow fanfictioners, I put the chapter number at the top for my own reference. I write these chapters in the Notes section of my phone, and it's easier to just read the chapter numbers before opening it, instead of looking through everything. And yes, in case you were wondering, I have run out of rings to talk about when I tell you about the chapter numbers. Aaaaanyways.**

 **Here's chapter six!**

 **!**

As Leliana and her party followed Morrigan out of the Wilds, the rogue wanted to talk to the witch more than she thought was acceptable for someone she's just met.

However, she kept her mouth shut for two reasons, the first being the men still walking three steps behind the women, afraid that they were to be made into Grey Warden stew, and the second being the most likely outcome of attempting a conversation with Morrigan, being cut down with the Witch's sharp tongue.

So for the next thirty or so minutes, the two women walked side by side, Leliana stealing glimpses of the paler woman when she thought it was safe.

Morrigan, on the other hand, knew that the fiery headed woman wanted her, even if she herself didn't realize it. She may have grown up away from society, but she recognized the look in the woman's eyes.

At least, she thought she did.

She'd seen a similar look in the men Flemeth would bring home. The lust in their eyes was evident, and every time, it unnerved her. The animalistic look they'd had, looking at Morrigan like a piece of meat...

Then the witch looked again.

It wasn't _lust._

 _The bard's smitten with me._

That, arguably, scared Morrigan worse than her previous thoughts, thought she'd never admit it.

 **!**

Morrigan escorted the Grey Wardens as close to Ostagar as she dated to venture, then turned to them.

"Well. 'Tis sad to see you all leave so soon" she started sarcastically.

"But I think I shall manage. Farewell." She looked into the bard's eyes one last time, drawn to her for some reason.

Whatever the reason, she did _not_ like it one bit.

The witch quickly turned on her heels and disappeared, literally, into the Korcari Wilds.

While most of the other Grey Wardens went back into camp, Leliana watched her go, missing Morrigan's cold presence.

Behind her, Xavier sneered.

"Miss your pretty witch, _human_?" He asked her mockingly.

She whirled around. "Are we acting like children, now? I'm sorry, I must not have received the message." Leliana answered him, feigning innocence.

He scoffed, and walked away, leaving the rogue to her thoughts.

She gave the area Morrigan had disappeared into one last wistful glance, and walked inside.

 **!**

Once Leliana was back inside, she made her way back to the Kennel Master.

"Is this the flower you wished for?" She asked, reaching into her pack and holding it out to him.

The man's face lit up, and he eagerly, but politely, took the flower from her.

"This is exactly what I need! Thank you! As I said, if you'll come by the kennels after the battle, we'll see about imprinting the tough little pup onto you!" He said to her, already beginning to grind the flower into a sweet-smelling paste.

Leliana smiled politely, nodded, and went over to the mages, who had started to prepare for the upcoming fight.

She noticed one that seemed to be in charge, an older woman with white hair who directed the mages strictly, but with a caring undertone.

"Hello? May I have a moment of your time?" Leliana asked the woman.

Immediately, she turned to the younger girl, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

"Hello, young one! Of course." The woman said kindly, waving for one of the other mages to take over.

"Thank you, Madame. My name is Leliana, and I'm one of the new Grey Warden initiates. I was wondering what your mages were doing earlier?" Leliana asked.

"Pleased to meet you, Leliana. I am Wynne. And our mages were contacting the Fade to see how far along this darkspawn horde was." Wynne answered gracefully.

"So the darkspawn are connected to the Fade?"

Wynne nodded her head.

"Not much is known about how the darkspawn are made, but according to the Chantry-"

"It happened when mages tried to enter the Black City." Leliana finished.

Wynne cocked a brow.

"I apologize for my rudeness, Madame. I worked for the Chantry for a number of years, and well, I paid attention." Leliana smiled, embarrassed.

"'Tis quite alright, child. But yes. Since they seem to have that connection with the Fade, we were hoping to see how much time Ostagar had to prepare." Wynne said with a polite smile.

Leliana nodded her head. "Thank you for satisfying my curiosity, Madame."

"Please, call me Wynne. Madame makes me sound old!" She responded gently.

"Fair enough. Well, Wynne, I bid thee farewell for now. I thank you for the talk, though." Leliana closed the conversation.

"Of course, dear. Anytime. It's always nice to talk to a curious young thing."

Leliana smiled once more before heading off to find the Grey Wardens.

 **!**

Leliana found them in the same ruins she found Alistair hours ago. They were almost ready to begin The Joining.

"It's about time you showed up, _human_." Xavier spat.

Leliana looked at him, not glared, just looked. She found that if you stared at someone long enough, it made them more uncomfortable than a simple glare.

After a few seconds under Leliana's blank gaze, it worked, and Xavier began squirming under stare. A few more seconds went by, and Leliana looked away, satisfied.

"Let's begin." Duncan clapped his hands together, looking at the initiates.

"Do you all have your vials?" He asked.

They all produced their blood, and he emptied them into a... _chalice_?

Leliana felt her stomach tie itself in knots.

 _We're not going to_ _ **drink**_ _this,_ she thought to herself.

 _Are we?_

Duncan then produces two vials from his armor: one Leliana recognized as Lyrium from her time around the Templars, and another that was a few shades darker than the black cherry red that was the darkspawn blood.

Alistair noticed the confusion on Leliana's face, and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Archdemon blood."

She shivered imperceptibly.

When Duncan was finished mixing the vile draught, he held it in both hands, and turned to the recruits.

"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day, we shall join you." Duncan finished his speech, and gave the chalice to Daveth, motioning for him to drink.

Daveth took a deep breath, and took a long sip from the silver chalice, handing it back to Duncan with a grimace. He seemed fine.

For the first couple of seconds, that is.

The next thing Leliana knew, Daveth was on the ground, clutching his neck and coughing uncontrollably. He seemed to be taking in huge gulps of air, yet unable to take in enough to live.

After a few agonizing moments of watching him writhe on the ground, the light in his eyes dimmed, and he was still.

Alistair kneeled down and put two fingers to the side of his neck.

His face contorted into a grim frown, and he looked up to Duncan.

With a shake of his head, he confirmed what everyone already knew.

Duncan turned to Ser Jory as if nothing happened, offering him the chalice.

"Are you insane?!" He cried, backing up from it.

"I have a wife and child!" He continued to back up. Duncan placed the chalice back onto the table. He approached the panicking man, his face a mask of calm.

"I need to live!" He drew his sword, pointing it at the advancing Grey Warden

Duncan unsheathed his own sword, and in one quick motion, buried it deep into the man's stomach, looking him in the eye as he did so.

When he was sure the man was dead, he slid him off of his sword, letting the body drop to the ground.

"The Joining must be kept secret." He said simply. He then turned to Xavier and Leliana.

"I am sorry. But this is the way it must be. You either join or die. This is the point of no return." He ended grimly.

Duncan went to the table and took the chalice once again. He offered it to Xavier.

"Doesn't look like I have much of a choice, now, do I?" He said sarcastically before taking the chalice.

The elf mage took a large mouthful of it, tears forming in his eyes as he swallowed it after a bit of a struggle.

He too, fell to the ground choking. Then, after a few moments, he lay still, his eyes closed.

Leliana figured him to be dead, and she felt bad that the few times they spoke were on such harsh terms.

Alistair again went to the still form, placing two fingers on his neck.

His face lit up, and he looked up to Ducan.

"He's alive!" Alistair exclaimed, and Leliana watched as Duncan's face seemed to age backwards.

"Thank the Maker. He'll be alright. For now. He needs to fight inside himself to survive. But he's okay for now."

He turned to Leliana, and offered her the chalice.

 **!**

 **That's where I'm gonna end it, ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between and outside! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if ya did, I'd love to read what you think! 'Till next time, my fellow zombie destroyers!**

 **Sidenote: I've decided to call you all zombie destroyers. Mark this momentous occasion as the first written proof of such!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

 **Hello again, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between and outside! I shall now gift you with yet another chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

 **!**

The taste is what Leliana initially noticed.

The mixture itself was cold, thanks to the Lyrium and long trek back to Ostagar, and that certainly didn't help Leliana choke it down, but the _taste_.

That was bad.

It tasted like blood and dirt and _bile_ , and it burned Leliana's mouth, as cold as it may be. Blood and dirt and bile and...

Leather?

She forced it down her throat, rubbing her tongue along her teeth to get all of it out, and it burned down her throat, almost as if it were trying to claw its way back up.

She handed the chalice back to Duncan with shaky hands, and took a deep breath.

Or tried to, that is.

Leliana's throat was open, but it felt as if it had swollen shut. She took deep breaths, yet felt no satisfaction in the air flowing into her lungs.

She collapsed to the ground on her knees, one hand on the ground in front of her, the other clutching her throat.

Her vision dimmed, her mind went hazy, and everything went black.

 **!**

Flashes of light.

A dragon, its hide a deep purple, breathing unnatural fire.

Marjolaine, her hands all over Leliana, whispering in her ear _it's all right, my pretty thing_.

Leather...

The smell of Marjolaine's leather armor as she took Leliana for the first time, the bard too drunk to fight back.

An image of the dragon burning down homes, leading an army of darkspawn, a path of destruction carved behind them.

The same smell of the torture chamber Leliana endured after Marjolaine's betrayal, leather with a hint of blood.

The darkspawn horde, marching steadily towards them, their bloodthirsty cries echoing into the night.

Lying broken and bloodied in a dark room in the back of the Chantry, praying for the Maker to kill her.

Black.

 **!**

Leliana's vision slowly swam back into focus, and she saw three heads looking down at her.

She say up, rubbing her head and smacking her lips together.

Leather.

She shuddered, looking for something to wash the taste out with.

Alistair knew from his Joining what she'd need, and handed her a bottle of ale.

She smiled thankfully at him, standing up and uncorking the bottle, taking a mouthful of the sweet liquid and handing it back to him. Leliana swished the ale around her mouth, thoroughly ridding it of the horrible taste, before swallowing.

She then realized that she had a lot of energy. It was strange. It was almost midnight, yet Leliana felt energized. And hungry.

Duncan smiled, patting the two new Grey Wardens on the back.

"Congratulations. You are now officially Grey Wardens." He told them officially.

"How does it feel?" Alistair asked them evenly.

Xavier spoke first.

"It feels. Weird. Like I've aged a hundred years. And I can feel my magic buzzing under my skin, almost like angry insects." He said, scratching at his arms.

Leliana put a consoling hand on his back before she realized what she was doing, and she expected him to shake her off. Instead, he seemed to lean into her touch, smiling uneasily at her.

"What about you, hu-, Leliana?"

The bard smiled at the slightly shorter individual standing next to her. Then, she recalled the images flashing before her eyes, and the after taste that still seemed to linger, even after the ale.

"I can still feel the after taste in my mouth." She said, a hand going to her lips.

He chuckled.

"I understand. Lyrium isn't exactly renowned for its taste. I think it's the rocks from around the veins that give it that mineral-y taste." Xavier responded.

"Lyrium? I was talking about the after taste. Almost like I was gnawing on leather." She replied, puzzled.

"Leather? Are you sure your mind's okay?" Xavier looked at her head expectantly, as if it were about to explode.

"In a way, you're both right." Alistair's voice brought them back to earth. They looked at him.

He went on.

"The Lyrium is used to heighten your senses, which is why mages are more susceptible to it. Why it feels like there are insects under your skin." He motioned to Xavier.

"The darkspawn blood is used to connect you to the sort of hive mind that the darkspawn have, so that you can sense them." He walked over to the chalice, producing two amulets and pouring the remaining blood into them.

"But the Archdemon blood is different. More than a few drops can kill you instantly, but it is necessary, because you can't kill the Archdemon without having the blood inside of you. But because of this, the thing can get inside of your mind, and it knows your biggest fears and regrets, and your hopes and dreams. That's why the aftertaste always varies, and that's why it stays so long. Because memories of betrayal, or sorrow, or fear always seem to stay around longer. But the taste itself is something you both loved and hated, because that's what hurts the most." Alistair finished.

Leliana nodded. She understood.

Xavier, however, was having a harder time.

"So, what, does that mean I'm afraid of dwarves?" He asked, chuckling. Leliana laughed, as well, as the thought of two dwarves latched on to either one of the elf's legs came to mind.

Alistair smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"No, my friend. Not necessarily. It's more for your interpretation." He clarified.

Leliana cocked her head to the side.

"So what was the aftertaste for you, Alistair?" She asked.

Instead of answering, he thrusted the amulets at the two newest Grey Wardens.

"These are a way to remember those we lost tonight." He evaded the question, instead motioning to the bodies of Daveth and Ser Jory, who had been covered with white linens and moved to the back of the ruins.

"Two of you. We didn't lose that many in mine. Still wasn't really that pleasant." Alistair stared at the bodies for a little longer before walking away.

Leliana turned to Duncan, who had watched the display silently.

"What about you? What did it taste like?" She asked.

He chuckled. "You're a curious one, aren't you?"

He crossed his arms, and thought back to his own Joining.

"It tasted like smoke." He answered finally.

"Smoke?" Leliana repeated.

He nodded. "As a child, I grew up around war. My mother and father were both Ferelden soldiers, and died in the line of duty. I was left in an Orphanage that was attacked by the Tevinter and burned to the ground. When I was old enough to, I joined the Fereldan army, and my tent was close to the blacksmith's. Smoke always seemed to be pouring out of it, as the blacksmith's repaired armor and weaponry, and crafted new ones. Then, the Grey Wardens found me, and here we are." He finished.

Leliana's brows furrowed. She was confused.

"It sounds like you would just hate it, then." She said.

Duncan shook his head.

"It was something that made my armor stronger, and my blade more durable. It protected me through all of my battles. Yet it was the same thing that took my family away from me, and any home I tried to know, afterwards." He explained.

Upon seeing Leliana's astonished face, he wrapped up the conversation.

"It took me quite a few years to figure out why. For some, it takes only moments. For others, a lifetime. One of the perks of the duty." He chuckled, though there was no mirth within it.

Duncan walked out of the ruins, leaving the bard and the mage alone with one another.

Leliana took a deep breath, then turned to the elf.

"The Joining was brutal, no?" She started.

He nodded, looking as if he was biting back a snarky reply.

She went on, thankful for his lack of interruption.

"When you were laying on the ground, I felt...regret. Because ever since we've met each other, we haven't exactly been civil." Leliana thought back to all her thoughts of homicide towards Xavier.

"So, since we're both alive, I thought that, maybe, we could at least be civil?" She finished, extending a hand to the mage.

He looked at her hand, studying it for a few moments.

"You're alright." He said easily, shaking her hand.

"For a human, that is."

Leliana smiled at that, and the two walked out of the ruins together.

 **!**

 **And that's that, my fellow zombie destroyers! Next chapter's gonna be the battle of Ostagar, obviously.**

 **Just out of curiosity, how many of you think Loghain was right in retreating? How many of you believe that the battle would've been won with the extra forces?**

 **If ya liked it, be sure to let me know, and I'll see ya next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **Hello again, everyone! I'm here with another chapter!**

 **Before I start, I'd like to talk about my ideas for the darkspawn blood flavor.**

 **The blood taste is because the darkspawn were once people, but have been changed into what they are. That's what I think, anyways. It may have been stated beforehand or something. I dunno.**

 **The first is because they dwell in the Deep Roads, underground, so I'd think that they'd have a more earthy smell and taste. And the bile is because they don't really seem like the cleanest of creatures.**

 **So yeah. Enjoy!**

 **!**

Leliana and Xavier exited the ruins together, heading over to where Duncan and Alistair were speaking with King Cailan and his brother-in-law, Teryn Loghain. It seemed like they were in a heated argument.

"My decision to stand with the Grey Wardens in this battle is final, Loghain!" Cailan snapped.

"But what if they aren't enough? We don't need to lose a king based on old stories of what the Wardens once were!" Loghain shot back, sending a glare to Lelian and Xavier.

Leliana was reaching subtly for the hidden knife on her hip before she realized it.

 _No! That is_ _ **not**_ _who I am anymore!_ The woman thought to herself, playing off the movement as adjusting one of the straps of her armor. She tuned in once more to the heated argument.

"If that's the case, then perhaps we should wait for the Orlesian reinforcements." The King countered, a smug smile on his face.

Immediately, Loghain seemed to bristle, going red in the face with anger.

"I must repeat my protest to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves!" He practically screamed.

 _I could use my bow to shoot down the two guards, then draw my twin daggers, and slit Loghain's throat before the bodies hit the ground. Then, I'd come up with my other knife, stabbing Cailan under the chin, the blade piercing through to his brain as his last seconds alive are filled with agony and-_

Xavier put a hand on Leliana's shoulder, a worried look on his face. It was then that she realized her hands were clenched tightly, her nails digging into the rough leather material of her gauntlets.

She shot back a smile, relaxing her posture and chastising herself mentally for her slip up.

"It is not a 'fool notion'. Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past...and you will remember who is king."

 _Perhaps the king may be allowed to live_ , the assassin inside of her contemplated, twirling a dagger in her hands.

 _Stop! You are no longer a part of me!_ Leliana mentally screamed. The assassin chuckled in response, but was silent, nonetheless.

"How fortunate Maric did not live to see his son ready to hand Fereldan over to those who enslaved us for a century!" Loghain tried to use guilt to sway Cailan.

 _How fortunate my dominant half holds on to her blind belief in a 'Maker' and won't let me cut you_ _down where you stand for such insolence!_ The assassin in the chantry sister growled.

 _Enough! It is not a 'blind belief', and you would do well to hold your tongue! We are not killing this man!_ Leliana replied with an air of finality.

"Then our current forces will have to suffice, won't they?" The king ended the conversation, turning to Duncan.

"Are your men ready for battle?" He asked.

"They are, your Majesty." Duncan replied, nodding his head.

Cailan turned to Xavier and Leliana, who'd stayed behind Duncan in order to remain unnoticed.

"And these are the newest members of the Wardens? I understand congratulations are in order." He said politely.

Xavier looked at the king with disdain.

"Well, _human_ -" he began, but Leliana cut him off.

"Thank you, your Majesty! It is an honor!" She hastily spat out, sending Xavier a look. He sighed, but nodded his head.

"Every Grey Warden is needed now. You two should be honored to join their ranks." The king smiled proudly.

Loghain cut in before Leliana had the chance to reply.

"Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan. We must attend to reality." He said tersely.

"Fine. Speak your strategy. The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then..?" Cailan caved, entertaining Loghain's ideas.

The two bent over the nearby table, where a map of the battlefield was set up.

"You will alert the tower to light the beacon, signaling my men to charge from cover." Loghain replied. He looked like he had more to say, but Cailan cut him off.

"To flank the darkspawn, I remember. This is the Tower of Ishal in the ruins, yes? Who shall light this beacon?"

Loghain recovered quickly, shaking off his irritation.

"I have a few men stationed there. It is not a dangerous task, but it is vital."

Cailan thought for a moment. He shook his head.

"Then we should send our best. Send Alistair and the new Grey Wardens to make sure it's done." He said, ignoring Loghain's glare.

"We'll do our best, your Majesty." Xavier said, to Leliana's surprise. He shot her a look that said "I'm trying" and she smiled back, grateful she didn't have to watch him as closely as she first thought.

"You rely on these Grey Wardens too much. Is that truly wise?" Loghain tried again to plant doubt in Cailan's mind.

The king would have none of it.

"Enough of your conspiracy theories, Loghain. Grey Wardens battle the Blight, no matter where they're from." He replied with an authoritative tone.

Duncan interjected. "Your Majesty, you should consider the possibility of the archdemon appearing."

"There have been no signs of any dragons in the Wilds" the Teyrn said curtly.

Loghain looked at Duncan with disdain, and Duncan remained unfazed.

In Leliana's mind, she had to hold herself back from brutally and efficiently stabbing Loghain in the spine, finding just the right spot to render him paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of his life.

 _I vowed to never harm an innocent, no matter how irritating they might be!_ She yelled at the assassin.

 _I never took that vow!_ The assassin fought back.

"Isn't that what your men are here for, Duncan?" Cailan asked.

"It's kind of hard to do that from a tower." Xavier mumbled, low enough that only Leliana could hear. She snorted, glad to be broken out of her thoughts.

"I...yes, your Majesty." Duncan conceded.

A mage ran up suddenly to the king.

"Your Majesty, the tower and its beacon are unnecessary. The Circle of Magi-" the mage began, but was cut off by a chantry priestess hot on his heels.

"We will not trust any lives to your spells, mage! Save them for the darkspawn!" She shot in snidely.

Leliana turned slightly to Xavier.

"That is not how the Chantry is supposed to treat people! The Maker loves all of his Children, even the mages, and we must do the same!" Leliana whispered. She was ashamed that the priestess would behave in such a manner to the mage.

"It's what I've grown up to, Leliana. The Chantry isn't as... _nice_...as you may have experienced elsewhere. Here, and in the Circle, we're treated with disdain, like pups who aren't yet housebroken." Xavier spat.

Leliana saw that this was a sore subject for him, and she put a consoling hand on his back.

"I'm. Sorry." She said, truthfully meaning it.

"I don't need your-" the elf began, but stopped.

"Thank you."

"Enough!" Loghain brought their attention back to the battle plan.

"This plan will suffice. The Grey Wardens will light the beacon."

"Thank you, Loghain. I cannot wait for this glorious moment! The Grey Wardens battle beside the King of Fereldan to stem the tide of evil!" Cailan was still regal, but some of his inner child shined through.

"Yes, Cailan. A glorious moment for us all." Loghain replied, walking away.

 **!**

"You heard the plan. You three will go to the Tower of Ishal and ensure the beacon is lit." Duncan said.

The three Wardens were gathered around the massive campfire in the middle of the camp, prepping for their upcoming battle.

Leliana was sharpening her arrows and twin daggers on a small sharpening stone she kept, studying bother her arrows and daggers for any imperfections.

Xavier was reading through a few spell books, making sure he remembered what the Circle had taught him about combat magics.

Alistair and Duncan were each patching up their armor, Alistair mending any chains that had come loose or had broken, and Duncan sewing up holes in the leather.

"What? I won't be in battle?" Alistair paused from his work, looking at Duncan incredulously.

Duncan stopped, as well, addressing the former Templar.

"This is by the king's personal request, Alistair. If the beacon is not lit, Teyrn Loghain's men won't know when to charge." He explained.

"So he needs three Grey Wardens standing up there, holding the torch. Just in case, right?" Xavier sided with Alistair, not looking up from his spell book.

"Where is this Tower of Ishal, exactly?" Leliana asked, trying to remain neutral.

Duncan looked to Leliana.

"The tower is on the other side of the gorge from the king's camp, you should've passed it when you came in, Leliana." He replied.

"You'll all need to cross the gorge, and head through the gate and up to the tower entrance. From the top, you'll overlook the entire valley."

"When do we even light the beacon? Will the sign be obvious?" Xavier asked, looking up.

"We will signal you when the time is right, Xavier. Alistair will know what to look for." He assured the elf, who scoffed, then went back to his book.

"Well. I suppose we know what to do, then." Alistair sighed.

"Then I must join the others. From here, you three are on your own. Remember, you are all Grey Wardens. I expect you to be worthy of that title." Duncan said.

"Just. Be careful, will you? I'd prefer not having to lug your body back here." The Junior Grey Warden stated.

Duncan smiled. "Of course! Wouldn't want you to have to work too hard, now would we?"

"Duncan...may the Maker watch over you." Leliana said, locking eyes with the older man.

"May he watch over us all."

 **!**

 **!**

 **Hey all! Long time no see. I've been a bit busy, and hadn't had the time. In return for your patience, I'll give ya another chapter after this!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **As promised, the next chapter!**

 **See ya at the bottom!**

 **!**

The three were running across the bridge leading into Ostagar, the sounds of war all around them. The clang of metal on metal, the dying screech of a soldier as a hurlock smashed his head into the ground.

Two storms raged around them, one of rain and lightning, and one of chaos and turmoil. Leliana could smell the blood in the air, mixed with the taint of something not quite human.

A large boulder engulfed in flames smashed into the bridge, knocking Leliana off of her feet. She flew over the edge of the bride, grabbing it at the last second and dangling precariously over the edge.

She looked down. Below her, history was being made. This battle would determine whether the darkspawn would be pushed back into whatever depth they crawled out of, or if they began to overrun all of Fereldan.

I hope the history books don't include the Grey Warden that fell off the bridge! Leliana lamented. Her grip was slipping, and the rain making the ledge wet wasn't exactly helping.

Just when her hand slipped off entirely, a strong one grabbed her wrist, and she looked up.

Alistair looked back, concern etching into his features. He grabbed on with his other hand, and hauled her back onto the bridge.

"Try not to die again, okay? I know this tower job sounds boring, but really. No need to go and off yourself." He covered with humor.

Leliana smiled at him, and located Xavier, repelling some of the incoming projectiles with a magic barrier.

"Xavier!" Leliana shouted for him.

He looked over to acknowledge her, then caught some of the boulders in his barrier, hurling them back from where they came.

"Let's go!" He shouted, running past them.

The three continued their mission, helping those along the way as quickly and efficiently as possible.

When they got to the tower, a guard rushed out at them.

"You! You're Grey Wardens, right? The tower! It's been taken!" He let out frantically.

Alistair grabbed him by the shoulders.

"What are you talking about, man? Taken how?" He asked the panicking guard.

The man took a deep breath.

"The darkspawn came up through the lower chambers! They're everywhere! Most of our men are dead!" It clearly didn't work.

"Then we have to get to the beacon and light it ourselves!" Alistair let go of the man.

The group of four went through the archway, immediately greeted with darkspawn. Leliana and Xavier stayed back, the rogue firing shot after shot from her bow, while the mage shot fire at the darkspawn, and casted temporary barriers around Alistair and the guard when they looked to be in danger.

"This isn't good. We need to get to that beacon as soon as possible. I have a feeling Duncan's going to give that signal any minute now." Alistair worried.

"Then let's go. The sooner we kill these bastards, the sooner we get to celebrate our heroic victory!" Leliana tried to lift his spirits.

He smiled and nodded, and they went on.

It was only a short distance later that they encountered more darkspawn.

"Look! There's more soldiers! We need to save them, they're outnumbered!" Alistair said worriedly.

The same strategy was used, Leliana and Xavier stayed back, shooting cover fire, while the tower guard and Alistair fought close quarters. Occasionally, Leliana would have to switch to her daggers, gutting any darkspawn who got too close to her and the mage.

When the fight was over, Alistair quickly sent the men back to the bridge, telling them to aid the archers set up there.

The four of them took a moment to catch their breath, then stormed the Tower of Ishal.

 **!**

The doors burst open, and the four of them took a moment to survey the scene dead bodies were strewn all around the entrance, and a few of the soldiers' heads were already mounted on wooden stakes.

As the group came into the main chamber of the first floor, the darkspawn began to attack.

Leliana quickly took notice of a trap, a thin tripwire leading to a large bucket of grease. Thinking quickly, she grabbed the bucket and threw it at the darkspawn, coating many of them in the thick liquid.

She turned to Xavier, who saw her do this, and he shot a ball of fire into the horde.

They immediately went up in flames, trying in vain to beat the flames out, edits dropping dead seconds later.

There was no time to celebrate this small victory, everyone knew, and the group quickly made their way to the hallway the darkspawn were guarding, stepping over the bodies of more dead soldiers.

 _May the Maker have mercy on your souls,_ Leliana prayed internally.

The hallway had only two doors to choose from, and Leliana took charge, bursting through, her bow put away in favor of her twin daggers.

Darkspawn were waiting for them behind the door, and the rogue had to immediately duck to avoid a wide swing from a hurlock. While ducking, she lunged forward, slashing a glenlock to the right of her expertly across the throat before tucking into a barrel roll.

She got to one knee, and immediately felt heat above the hilt of her blades. A quick inspection showed that Xavier had given the daggers a temporary fire enchantment. Leliana got to her feet, and used the fire to her advantage, making short work of the remaining darkspawn.

They continued on, past a massive hold in the stone floor, to the staircase.

The Grey Wardens lead the way up the stairs, eyes out for any more enemies. When they got to the next floor, Alistair sighed exasperatedly.

"Maker's breath! What are these darkspawn doing ahead of the horde? There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here!" He lamented.

"There's no point moaning about it. We have fighting to do!" Xavier shot back.

Alistair nodded. "You're right. I need to kill first, ask questions later. At any rate, we need to hurry! We need to get up to the top of this tower and light the signal flare in time! Teyrn Loghain will be waiting for the signal!"

They headed on, trying to block out all of the dead men around them. Leliana once again said a silent prayer for them all, asking the Maker to accept these children into his embrace, and vowing to herself to wipe out the monsters that did this.

The assassin in her smiled at the thought of more bloodshed, even if it was just darkspawn. During battle was the only time Leliana allowed her to take semi-control, and she relished those moments.

Speaking of bloodshed, more darkspawn awaited them, and the four were quickly thrown into the heat of battle, Leliana cutting tendons and taking cheap shots, while Alistair and the guard took advantage of the stunned state she left them in. Meanwhile, Xavier stayed back, sending out supporting fire, both literally and metaphorically.

The tower guard accompanying them noticed the ballistas set up facing the darkspawn, and began firing them, being careful not to hit the Grey Wardens. These two factors combined made short work of the darkspawn that dared to attack them.

They quickly made their way to the other end of the massive hallway, practically sprinting up the stairs to the third floor.

"Loghain better be ready to charge as soon as we light the signal. The king is depending on us!" Alistair said, more to himself than anyone else.

As Leliana passed more dead bodies of soldiers, she made more prayers for them, not neglecting her chantry duties at all.

They made short work of the darkspawn waiting for them, making there way to another massive room.

Inside were a group of darkspawn, and Mabari war hounds locked in cages.

Alistair drew Leliana's attention to a lever.

"That's the cage release! Pull that and it'll open all of the cages at once!" He told her because she seemed to be the most adept at avoiding attacks.

She nodded, weaving through various darkspawn to the lever and pulling it. After a second of nothing happening, the cage doors shot up, the Mabari immediately running out to take chunks out of the darkspawn, biting into them and spitting whatever got into their mouths onto the stone floor.

Along with the Mabari aid, the darkspawn were slaughtered, and the group moved on, Alistair commanding the Mabari to stay there should any more darkspawn come behind them.

More came out of the doors from the hallway that the room fed into, and the four of them made short work of the things, carving a path straight to the next staircase.

"This should be the last floor." Alistair started, looking around at the other three of his companions.

"Is everyone ready?" He asked. Three heads nodded, and they made their way up for the last time.

 **!**

They ran though, heading straight for the signal point before realizing their surroundings.

More dead soldiers lay around, mutilated in a way only the darkspawn could do, whom Leliana said a prayer for. But the thing that made them stop was a massive ogre right next to where they were supposed to be.

It was hunched over, chewing on what looked like a human leg. It looked up from its meal, noticing it had more potential food, and threw the limb to the side, wiping its mouth on the back of its hand before letting loose a massive roar.

Leliana switched back to her bow, pulling out her special fire arrows and letting loose. Alistair and the tower guard hacked and slashed at the ogre's legs, trying to cripple it. Xavier shot ice into its eye, blinding it and preventing it from trying to stomp the two warriors closest to it.

Leliana landed a shot right into its mouth, and sent it reeling, fire burning a path down its throat. Alistair took advantage of this, slashing its knee to bring it down closer to him while he jumped, plunging his sword deep into the ogre's chest. He twisted the handle, pulling it left and right to ensure that he hit the beast's heart.

After a few moments, it fell onto its back, and Alistair pulled his sword out, jumping down off of the beast and rushing to the window.

"Duncan's given the signal. Light the beacon now!" He yelled, looking to the tower guard. He nodded, using the flames from a nearby fire to light the fireplace.

They looked out the window and watched Loghain's men...retreat?

"What? What in the Maker's name are they doing!?" Alistair screamed.

Suddenly, the door to the top floor was blown open, and more darkspawn poured through. Before Leliana could draw any weapon, an arrow pierced her heart.

As she lay there, slipping out of consciousness, all she could think about were a pair of yellow eyes.

 **!**

 **Well. There it is! Another chapter down. I know the bits about Leliana praying for the dead soldiers seemed a bit random, but I put it in there because I felt like that's something she'd do. Also, I'm not that good at writing combat scenes, so I hope this was acceptable.**

 **I'll see you all next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

 **Ten chapters! Wow, that's. Quite a few. And we're not even close to the end. I hope you're all okay with that. It's safe to say that this will be a bit of a slow burn romance. I hope that's okay! Also, I'm so sorry about going dark for so long. My life's a bit hectic right now, but that's not important. Anyways, see you at the bottom!**

 **!**

Leliana's mind slowly swam back into reality as her eyelids fluttered open.

She was met with the sight of a familiar pair of yellow, catlike eyes.

 _I must have died and gone to the Maker,_ Leliana thought.

 _He is rewarding me._

The eyes crinkled, indicating a smile.

"Such sweet words from a woman who barely knows me." A sultry voice graced her to ears, and she realized she'd said her thoughts aloud.

"Mother shall be pleased to know you aren't dead, though 'tis a little surprising, given the state she brought you in." Morrigan said to the bard as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Leliana looked around, expecting the walls to collapse under the weight of a sudden assault.

"What happened to the darkspawn?" She asked warily.

"You were injured, then Mother rescued you. Do you not remember?" Morrigan asked.

"I remember being overwhelmed by darkspawn..." Leliana said, more to herself than to the witch in front of her.

"Mother managed to save you and both of your friends, though 'twas a close call. What is important is that you both live."

Leliana combed a hand through her hair as Morrigan continued.

"The man who was supposed to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won your battle. Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friends...they are not taking it well." She finished.

Leliana's brow furrowed, and she swung her legs over the side of the bed, focusing on a spot on the floor.

 _All those people dead..._

"My friends? You mean Alistair and Xavier?" Leliana pulled herself from her dark thoughts momentarily.

"The suspicious, dim-witted ones who were with you before, yes." Morrigan said evenly.

Leliana let out a laugh at that, and Morrigan waited for her to finish before continuing.

"They are outside by the fire. Mother asked to see you when you awoke."

Leliana's hand went to her chest, where she realized that:

1\. She was naked.

2\. She didn't have any bandages on her body, not even a scar where the arrow pierced her chest.

"Mother and I tried to help you with some of your...other...scars, but they were too old to be dealt with." Morrigan told her.

Leliana knew what she was talking about. All over her body were scars she had gotten from Marjolaine's betrayal, and even though it was so long ago, she was still self conscious, preferring to wear a long chantry robe or armor to cover them up. To see and to know that such a beautiful specimen such as Morrigan saw all of them made Leliana want to shrink out of existence.

"We're my injuries severe?" Leliana asked, changing the subject. She put a hand over her stomach to try to cover some of them.

"Yes, but I suspect you shall be fine. The darkspawn did nothing Mother could not heal." Morrigan replied.

Leliana nodded, accepting that.

"What about Alistair and Xavier? Are they all right?"

"They are...as you are. I suppose it would be unkind to say he's being childish."

Leliana smiled. She pictured Alistair and Xavier's heads on the bodies of babies, fighting over a small stuffed animal.

She stood up, realizing how close the witch was to her. She blushed, and fought the urge to look away, staring into the captivating eyes that met hers.

"Thank you for helping me, Morrigan." She said, studying the woman's face.

"I...you are welcome. Mother did most of the work, however. I am no healer." She responded softly.

Leliana leaned in, unsure of how she'd be met, and placed her lips gently on Morrigan's cheek.

"I will go, now, if your mother wishes to see me." The rogue said to the witch, internally hoping that she wouldn't be set on fire.

Morrigan seemed to be in a daze. "I. Will make something to eat." She replied.

Leliana backed away from the woman, going to a chest by the bed that she assumed her belongings word be in.

She assumed correctly, and quickly dressed in rough leather armor, putting her various knives and daggers on various parts of her body.

Sparing one last look at Morrigan, who had begun chopping vegetables and tossing them into a large cauldron, Leliana exited the small hut.

It was then that Morrigan checked to make sure she had left, then allowed herself to bring a pale hand to her cheek, the feeling of the bard's lips still ghosting over her flesh.

 **!**

Upon exiting, Leliana heard the voice of the woman from earlier.

"See? Here is your fellow Grey Warden. You worry too much, young men." She chastised.

Alistair turned to her, relief flooding his features.

"You...you're alive! I thought you were dead for sure."

Leliana smiled at him. "I am fine. I appreciate your concern."

Xavier, who'd remained quiet until now, spoke. "This doesn't seem real. If it weren't for Morrigan's mother, we'd be dead on top of that tower." He wouldn't meet the rogue's eyes, ashamed at himself for being happy while an entire army lay dead.

"Do not talk about me as if I am not present, lad." The elder woman scolded once more.

"I didn't mean...but what do we call you? You never told us your name." Xavier turned to her.

"Names are pretty, but useless. The Chasind folk call me Flemeth. I suppose it will do."

Alistair's jaw dropped.

" _The_ Flemeth, from the legends? Fave this was right; you're the Witch of the Wilds, aren't you?" Alistair gaped.

"And what does that mean? I know a bit of magic, and it has served you both well, has it not?" She crossed her arms.

"I suppose we should thank you, Madame Flemeth." Leliana tried to steer the conversation away from any conflict.

"If you know what is good for you, I suppose you should!" Flemeth responded.

"Is there some way we can repay you?"

Flemeth laughed at this. "All that I wish you to do is what you are meant to do." She stated.

Flemeth went on. "It has always been a Grey Warden's duty to unite the lands against the Blight."

She turned to Alistair. "Or did that change while I was not looking?"

"Of course not!" He sounded almost indignant.

"But we _were_ fighting the darkspawn! The king had nearly defeated them! Why would Loghain do this?" He continued.

 _Perhaps a move to the throne. The king dies in battle, Loghain has a claim to it for being a celebrated veteran...it would be a smart thing to do, no?_ Assassin Leliana mused.

"Now _that_ is a good question. Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature. Perhaps he believes the Blight is an army he can outmaneuver. Perhaps he does not see tat the evil behind it is the true threat." Flemeth responded.

"The archdemon." Alistair said.

"Then we need to find this archdemon." Xavier put in.

Alistair turned to him.

"By ourselves? No Grey Warden has ever defeated the Blight without the army of a half-dozen nations at his back." He said incredulously.

He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking sheepish.

"Not to mention, I don't know how."

"How to kill the archdemon, or how to raise an army? It seems to me, those are two different questions, hmm? Have the Wardens no allies these days?" Flemeth interjected.

"I...I don't know. Duncan said that the Grey Wardens of Orlais had been called. And Arl Eamon would never stand for this, surely." Alistair thought aloud.

"Perhaps we should go to him, then." Leliana offered.

"I suppose...Arl Eamon wasn't at Ostagar; he still has all his men. And he was Cailan's uncle."

Alistair became hopeful.

"I know him. He's a good man, respected in the Landsmeet. Of course! We could go to Redcliffe and appeal to him for help!"

"And surely there are other allies we could rely on?" Xavier put forth.

"Of course! The treaties! Grey Wardens can demand aid from dwarves, elves, mages, and other places! They're obligated to help us during a Blight!"

Flemeth smiled. "I may be old, but dwarves, elves, mages, this Arl Eamon, and who knows what else...this sounds like an army to me."

"So can we do this? Go to Redcliffe and these other places and...build an army?" Alistair asked the other two Grey Wardens.

"Of course we could!" Xavier responded, exuding confidence.

"Why not? Isn't that what Grey Wardens do?" Leliana asked.

"So you are set, then? Ready to be Grey Wardens?" Flemeth asked.

Leliana turned to the old woman.

"Yes. Thank you for everything, Flemeth."

"No, no, thank _you_. You are the Grey Wardens here, not I."

She clapped her hands together.

"Now...before you go, there is yet one more thing I can offer you."

The door to the hut opened just then, and Morrigan came out.

"The stew is bubbling, Mother dear. Shall we have two guests for the eve or none?" She asked, avoiding eye contact with Leliana.

"The Grey Wardens are leaving shortly, girl. And you will be joining them." Flemeth commanded.

"Such a shame-what?" Morrigan turned to her mother, shocked.

"You heard me girl. The last time I checked, you had ears!" The elder witch laughed at her own joke.

Leliana noticed how uncomfortable Morrigan looked, and sighed inaudibly.

"Thank you, but if Morrigan doesn't wish to join us..." She trailed off, looking at the small pond nearby.

Flemeth would have none of it.

"Her magic will be useful. Even better, she knows the Wilds and how to get past the horde."

"Have _I_ no say in this?" Morrigan demanded.

"You have been itching to get out of the Wilds for years. Here is your chance." Flemeth waived her daughter off, turning to the Wardens.

"As for you, Wardens, consider this repayment for you lives."

Xavier examined Morrigan, as if trying to decipher if what Flemeth said was true.

"Very well. We'll take her with us." He nodded his approval.

Alistair looked wary. "Not to...look a gift horse in the mouth, but won't this add to our problems? Out of the Wilds, she's an apostate."

"If you do not wish help from illegal mages, young man, perhaps I should've left you on that tower." Flemeth mused.

"Point. Taken."

Morrigan tried once more to convince the witch. "Mother...this is not how I wanted this. I am not even ready-"

She was cut off. "You must be ready. Alone, these three must unite Fereldan against the darkspawn."

She put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "They need you, Morrigan. Without you, they will surely fail, and all will perish under the Blight. Even I."

Morrigan looked down. "I...understand."

Flemeth turned once again to the Wardens.

"And you, Wardens? Do you understand? I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you _must_ succeed."

Leliana met the witch's harsh gaze with her own.

"She won't come to harm with us."

Morrigan sighed. "Slow me to get my things, if you please."

 **!**

She came from the hut a short while later, a small satchel at her side.

"I am at your disposal, Grey Wardens. I suggest a village north of the Wilds as our first destination. 'Tis not far and you will find much you need there."

She grew cold. "Or, if you prefer, I shall simply be your silent guide. The choice is yours."

Leliana smiled at her. "No, I prefer you speak your mind."

Flemeth laughed. "You will regret saying that!"

Morrigan turned to her mother, her voice growing sarcastically sweet.

"Dear, sweet mother, you are so kind to cast me out like this. How fondly I shall remember this moment."

Flemeth smiled, as if the words were true. "Well, I always said 'if you want something done, do it yourself. Or hear about it for the next decade or two, afterwards.'"

Alistair ran a hand through his hair. "I just. Do you really want to take her along because her mother says so?" He asked the redhead.

"We need all the help we can get." Leliana responded.

He nodded. "I guess you're right. The Grey Wardens have always taken allies where they could find them."

Morrigan cut in, putting in sarcastically, "I am so pleased to have your approval."

"I think we should just get underway." Xavier said, moving them along.

Morrigan sighed. "Farewell, Mother. Do not forget the stew on the fire. I would hate to return to a burned-down hut."

"Bah. 'Tis far more likely you will return to see this entire area, along with my hut, swallowed up by the Blight." Flemeth shot back.

Morrigan's face fell. "I...all I meant was..."

Flemeth smiled. "Yes, I know. Do try to have fun, dear."

 **!**

The walk to the small village began silently, a cold feeling emanating from the witch leading the Wardens.

Leliana walked farther behind Morrigan, her eyes on her form as she listened to Alistair and Xavier.

"Do you think we can trust her?" Alistair asked the elf.

"And why could we not? Because she's a mage?" Xavier shot back.

"That's not what I meant! She's an apostate, and probably a powerful one at that. She was raised by _the_ Witch of the Wilds, after all!"

"I see your point, human, but at the moment, we can get all the help we can get."

"I agree with Xavier. We can't necessarily be choosy, now can we?"

"You know, the daughter of _the_ Witch of the Wilds has ears. They seem to be burning, at the moment." Morrigan stopped, looking over her shoulder ever so slightly.

All three Grey Wardens fell silent, blushing as if they were children being scolded by their mothers.

Leliana's ears perked up, picking out a small whine of pain from the path ahead of them. She looked to her elf and human companions. They had heard it as well, and drew their weapons.

The chantry sister pulled her bow out, readying one of her arrows. They proceeded ahead cautiously, but swiftly.

A short distance later, they came upon a group of hurlocks, eight at the very least, fighting what appeared to be a massive Mabari war hound. The group crouched behind cover, watching the battle unfold.

The Mabari weaved expertly through sword slashes and legs, taking bites out of any vulnerable areas it could reach.

 _The dog is impressive,_ assassin Leliana observed. _Perhaps he could be of use._

The Leliana in control agreed, and looked to her companions, silently asking if they were ready. Receiving affirmative nods, she slowly stood, drawing back an arrow and firing at a darkspawn who'd made a slash at the dog.

The arrow buried itself in its eye, and it was followed closely by two more, and a skilled Templar.

While Alistair hacked and slashed, Leliana and Morrigan provided cover fire, while Xavier cast spells to protect the dog and the human caught in the fray from harm.

Leliana shot another hurlock down, while Alistair beheaded the alpha, marking the end of the battle. He then turned to the dog, who was covered in blood, and began checking for any injuries.

"Those darkspawn didn't hurt you, boy, did they?" He asked worriedly.

The Mabari barked, wagging its tail. When Leliana approached, the dog's tail wagged harder.

 _Any harder, and he might just take flight!_ Leliana giggled inwardly.

Alistair got up from his kneeling position, turning to her.

"I think he was out here looking for you. He's...chosen you. Mabari are like that. They call it imprinting."

"Does this mean that we're going to have this mangy beast following us about, now? Wonderful." Morrigan huffed.

Alistair looked offended. "He's not mangy!" He cooed, more to the dog than to the witch.

The Mabari barked excitedly again, and tried to shake off some of the darkspawn blood.

"He's just. Covered in blood!"

Leliana laughed, petting the massive animal.

"I've always wanted a dog like this," she mused. "Maybe it's meant to be."

The Mabari barked again, content. She kneeled down, now eye level with him.

"Let me think. I think your name should be..." She trailed off, her brow furrowing in thought.

"How about Barkspawn?" Alistair suggested brightly.

Leliana smiled. "Perfect! What do you think, boy?"

Barkspawn barked again, jumping playfully around as if to show his delight.

"Barkspawn it is!" She declared, her smile growing.

"Right. Well. Now that we've decided to name the mangy thing, I suggest we continue on." Morrigan interjected sourly.

"He's not mangy!"

 **!**

 **That's another chapter down! Ok a side note, I was thinking about making an Archive of Our Own account, as well. Does anyone have one? What's it like? Send me a pm, or leave a review!**

 **I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see ya next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

 **Wow. Chapter eleven and we haven't even covered that much. I am pretty damn slow. But there's just so much I wanna talk about! It's maddening!**

 **Anyways, hope ya like this chapter, and I'll see ya at the bottom!**

 **!**

The small town turned out to be Lothering, Leliana figured out as they got closer. The road they traveled on became an _actual_ road, with this sort of white brick instead of dirt or loose rocks.

They came upon a roadblock that Leliana didn't recall from last time, and she approached the men there immediately.

A man, seemingly the leader of the group, walked briskly to meet her.

"Wake up, gentlemen! More travelers to attend to!" He spoke cheerily to those scattered about, napping or otherwise idling around. He smacked one nearest to him, a large, oafish man that Leliana assumed was his second in command. He grunted, and stood, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a massive hand. They were dressed in hastily put together armor, not really looking the part of people who "attend" to travelers.

At least, not in the "not going to stab you to death and loot your corpse" sort of way.

They bounced up, and flocked behind their leader, as if...

 _Trying to intimidate us_ , assassin Leliana laughed.

 _Bandits._ Leliana thought bitterly. _But what do they want? They aren't attacking outright._

"Err. They don't look like them others, you know. Maybe we should just let these ones past..." The oafish thug next to the leader sputtered out.

"Nonsense!" The leader dismissed. "Greetings, travelers!"

"Highwaymen," Alistair spoke lowly, so that only the four of them could hear. "Preying on those fleeing the darkspawn, I suppose."

Leliana internally smacked herself on the forehead. _Of course! It was obvious!_

Morrigan smirked. "They are fools to get in our way. I say teach them a lesson." She said it loud enough for the leader of the thugs to hear.

 _I like this woman,_ assassin Leliana purred.

"Now is that any way to greet someone?" He asked in a good-natured voice. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. A simple ten silvers and you're free to move on."

Leliana's face darkened. "You should listen to your friend. We're not refugees.

The oaf looked even more scared than he already was before. "What did I tell you? No wagons, and they all look armed!"

The leader faltered, but thought fast.

"The toll applies to everyone, Hanric. That's why it's a toll, and not, say, a refugee tax."

Hanric calmed slightly. "Ooooh, right. Even if you're no refugee, you still gotta pay."

Leliana crossed her arms. "Forget it. I'm not paying."

"Well, I can't say I'm pleased to hear that," the leader said, looking quite the contrary. "We have rules, you know."

Hanric smiled, showing gaps amidst his yellowed teeth. "Right. We get to ransack your corpse, then. Those are the rules."

Leliana drew her daggers. "Do you really want to fight a Grey Warden?"

"Did she say she's a Grey Warden? Them ones killed the king!" Henric cried.

 _What!?_ Leliana asked internally.

"Traitors to Fereldan, I hear. Teyrn Loghain put quite a bounty on any who are found." The leader licked his lips.

Leliana tightened her grip on her daggers. _Loghain._

"But, aren't Grey Wardens good? Really good? Good enough to kill a king?"

The leader deflated. "You have a point. Well, let's forget about the toll. We'll just leave you to your darkspawn fighting, king-killing ways."

Assassin Leliana smiled at her counterpart's anger. _Let me take care of this. They deserve it._

 _Do they?_ Leliana asked. _They're just trying to survive._

 _By preying on others. And not in a respectable manner, might I add. They won't stop with us. They'll keep taking advantage of travelers until the darkspawn come. They'll leave this town in shambles, their pockets deep with the blood money._

Leliana reluctantly handed the reins off _. I suppose you're right. One small sacrifice in exchange for the greater good. He doesn't seem to want to atone for their sins at all._

"You know, the Grey Wardens could use a donation." Assassin Leliana said, twirling her daggers around expertly.

"You don't say." The leader gulped.

"Twenty silvers? That's all we've, _collected_ , today." He said, handing the money to her.

"This will do." She replied, and in one quick motion, brought a dagger around her body, slitting his throat before he knew what happened.

"The rest of you would do well to take your leave." She said darkly. The bandits scrambled to do as she advised, gone down the road within moments.

She smirked, pocketing the money and handing control back to her morally correct half.

 _I didn't want to do that_ , Leliana inwardly grimaced. _But it was necessary for the people._

 _If that's what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night_ , the assassin in her cackled. Outwardly, the redhead simply cleaned the blood off of her dagger.

She and the other three (and Barkspawn) walked silently onwards.

 **!**

"Well. There it is. Lothering. Pretty as a painting." Alistair said conversationally, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group.

"Ah. So you have finally decided to rejoin us, have you? Falling on your blade in grief seemed like too much trouble, I take it?" Morrigan shot at him with a sly smile.

He scowled at her. "Is my being upset too hard to understand? Have you never lost someone important to you? Just what would you do if your mother died?"

"Before or after I stopped laughing?"

Xavier tapped him on the shoulder. "You forget she's a bit, wrong in the head, so to speak."

Alistair nodded in agreement. "Right. Very creepy. Forget I asked."

Morrigan scoffed, but said nothing.

Leliana looked to the templar. "She has a point, Alistair. You've been very quiet."

His face fell, and he looked at the ground. "Yes, I know. I was just. Thinking."

Morrigan saw and opportunity. "No wonder it took so long, then. Careful not to work your small mind too hard, dear."

Alistair snapped. "Oh, I get it. This is the part where we're shocked to discover you've never had a friend your entire life."

If it affected Morrigan, she did not let it show. "I can be friendly when I desire to. Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so."

Alistair turned back to Leliana, ignoring Morrigan. "Anyway, I thought we should talk about where we intend to go, first."

Leliana thought to herself. She didn't really know where to start, if she was being totally honest. It was one thing to know where she was going next, be it the Wilds or Lothering, but making her own plans? This is going to be a lot harder than she first thought.

"You have some thoughts on that, Alistair?" She asked.

"This should be good." Morrigan smirked.

Alistair rolled his eyes. "I _think_ what Flemeth suggested is the best idea. These treaties...have you looked at them?"

The rogue remembered reading over them as they were walking. She nodded.

"Then you know of the three groups we have treaties for: The Dalish, The Circle, and Orzammar. And Arl Eamon would probably be our best bet for help. We might even want to see him first, considering we're so close to Redcliffe."

"I don't know about the mages just yet" Xavier put in, looking at Leliana. "When I left, the Knight-Commander wasn't exactly thrilled with the Grey Wardens. I'd wager now that Loghain has slandered our names, we'd be shot on sight."

"Why are we leaving it up to me?" Leliana asked uncomfortably.

Alistair and Xavier looked at one another and shrugged.

"I've been taking orders my whole life, anyways, being an apprentice." Xavier said.

"I've never really been in charge before. You seem to get results. I wouldn't know what to do, anyways." Alistair threw in.

"Now that is unsurprising." Morrigan jabbed.

Alistair ignored her. "Arl Eamon is a good man, but I don't know for sure if he's where we should go. But I won't fight about it."

Leliana looked to Morrigan. "You seem to have a lot of thoughts. What do you think we should do?"

Morrigan responded immediately. "Go after your enemy directly. Find this man, Loghain, and kill him. The rest of this business with treaties can then be done in safety."

Alistair snorted. "Yes, he certainly wouldn't see that coming!" He said sarcastically.

"It not like he has an army, and experience, and-" he continued, but was cut off.

"I was asked for my opinion and I gave it. If your wish is to come up with reasons why something cannot be done, we will stand here until the darkspawn are upon us." Morrigan snapped at him.

 _She's rather attractive when she's irritated,_ Leliana thought to herself.

"We need to find these people, then." She moved the conversation along.

"I can give you directions, if you'd like." Alistair provided.

Leliana nodded. "I will need your help in finding Arl Eamon. Xavier," she turned to the mage, "Can you find the Tower from here?"

"No. But enough travelers have come from Redcliffe to the Tower that I could probably get us there." He put in.

"Where would we find Orzammar?" She asked Alistair.

"Orzammar's in the Frostback Mountains, so we'd need to head west. Careful, though. Those mountains are treacherous." He warned.

"And the Dalish?"

"Last I heard, they were in the Breciliam Forest. Hopefully, they'll still be there."

"Yes. Hopefully. Because hopefully can solve this Blight, can it not?" Morrigan retorted.

"Let's go on then, shall we?" Leliana asked hurriedly.

Alistair scowled, but nodded, and they set off into the village.

 **!**

Leliana and the group wandered over to a merchant with a few people surrounding him, as they'd need supplies for their journey.

Her steps became faster and more determined when she saw him push a chantry sister away from him.

"Back off! I have the right to charge whatever I wish!" He yelled.

"You profit from their misfortune! I should have the templars give away everything in your carts!" She threatened.

Leliana slowed to a stop near them, and scowled, both at the man's opportunistic ways, and the woman's blatant misuse of power.

"You wouldn't dare! Any of you step too close to my good, and I'll-"

Alistair interrupted loudly. "It's so nice to see everyone working together in a crisis. Warms the heart." He said cheerily.

"Ho! You there! You look able! Would you care to make a tiny profit helping a beleaguered businessman?" He asked forcefully.

 _Beleaguered_ , assassin Leliana snorted. _Beleaguered my a-_

"Why would I want to help _you_?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Did I mention profit?" He smirked.

 _It looks better on Morrigan,_ Leliana thought.

"This man is charging outlandish prices for things people desperately need! Their blood is filling his pockets!" The chantry sister lamented.

"'Tis only survival of the fittest," Morrigan put in. "All of these cretins would do the same in his shoes, given the chance." She gave the chantry sister a pointed look.

"I have limited supplies. The people decide what those supplies are worth to them." The merchant said smugly.

"You bought most of your supplies from these very people last week! Now they flee for their lives, and you want to talk business?" The sister accused incredulously.

"Look, stranger. I've a hundred silvers if you'll drive this rabble off, starting with that priest. I'm an honest merchant, nothing more."

Leliana paused for only a moment, before replying. "You don't think you're being a little unscrupulous?"

"Would it help these folks if they could buy no goods at all?" He threatened.

"But how would that help you, honest merchant? If people cannot afford your goods, how are you to make any money at all?" Leliana asked him.

The man seemed flustered for a moment.

"As I said, they decide what those goods are worth to them."

"But what good are they dead? Unless you pick their corpses clean like some sort of scavenger."

"So what say you, hmm? Merchant or scavenger?" She saw Morrigan smile for a split second before she wiped it off her face."I...fine. They can have their discount. But you don't look too needy. Normal prices for you." He huffed.

"Of course. Speaking of, might I buy some?"

 **!**

After stopping by the chantry, Leliana and her group (sans Morrigan, of course) all agreed that they should help the people of Lothering before they left. They were just about to cross the bridge into town to look for bandits when a small boy ran up to them.

"Have you seen my mother?" The little boy tugged on Xavier's robes to get his attention. The elf kneeled down to talk to the boy, and Leliana feared the worst.

"You poor thing! Did you and your mother get separated?" He asked worriedly, surprising the rogue.

The boy nodded his head. "Some mean men with swords came, and mother told me to run to the village as fast as I could, so I did!" He began to cry.

"She said she would be right behind me, but I've been waiting and waiting and I can't see her!"

"Why don't you come with us, then? We'll help you find your mother." Xavier suggested.

The boy shook his head vehemently. "Mother said I wasn't supposed to go with anyone. I'm supposed to wait for her here in the village."

Xavier thought for a moment, then pulled his satchel from his side, digging around in it. He pulled out his coinpurse, taking out a single silver and placing it in the boy's hand.

"Take this silver. Buy something to eat." He told him.

"Wow! A whole silver? Thank you!" He began to run off, but paused, turning back to the mage.

"So, um...are you really an elf?" He asked.

Xavier chuckled. "Do the ears give it away?"

"Father says elves aren't very nice. But you're nicer than everybody here. Thank you for helping me." And with that, he ran off.

Xavier stood up, a troubled expression on his face.

Alistair placed a hand on his back.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

Xavier sighed. After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"I don't know which is worse, the fact that someone assumes elves are awful towards those that aren't elves, or that I can feel myself embody that assumption."

He walked over the bridge, the others following a few seconds later.

 **!**

They'd finished up all of the missions for the chantry, as well as saving two very odd dwarves and were just heading back when Leliana notice someone locked in a cage outside the village.

She approached it.

The figure spoke as soon as she approached him.

"You aren't one of my captors. I have nothing that would amuse you, human. Leave me in peace." He scowled.

"You're a prisoner? Who put you here?" She asked him.

"I'm in a cage am I not? I've been placed hereby the chantry."

He straightened his posture slightly. "I am Sten of the Beresaad, the vanguard, of the qunari people."

Leliana curtsied slightly. "I am Leliana. Pleased to meet you, Sten."

He looked puzzled. "You mock me. Or you show manners I have not come to expect in your lands. Though it matters little. I will die soon enough."

Morrigan spoke up. "This is a proud and powerful creature, trapped as prey for the darkspawn. If you cannot see a use for him, I suggest releasing him for mercy's sake alone."

Alistair seemed astounded. "Mercy? I wouldn't have expected that from you."

"I also suggest that Alistair take his place inside the cage."

"Yes, _that's_ what I would've expected."

"I suggest you leave me to my fate." Sten cut in.

Leliana pursed her lips. "I find myself in need of skilled help."

Sten snorted. "No doubt. What help do you seek?"

"I am sworn to defend the land against the Blight."

"The Blight? Are you a Grey Warden, then?"

"Yes, I am."

"Surprising. My people have heard legends of the Grey Wardens' strength and skill. I suppose not every legend is true."

Leliana changed the subject. "Would the revered mother let you free?"

"Perhaps if you told her the Grey Wardens need my assistance. It seems as likely to bring my death as waiting here."

Leliana nodded.

"I'll leave you for now."

 **!**

As they made their way to the chantry, Alistair spoke.

"Eaten alive by darkspawn? That's cruel. I wonder why the revered mother is so afraid of him."

Leliana's brows furrowed.

"It is especially cruel. First a sister abusing her authority, and now the revered mother letting that poor creature slowly die out there in the worst way possible! Does this chantry know nothing of the chant?" She ranted.

Morrigan smirked. "Is the perception of your beloved chantry being blown apart by the reality that, maybe, 'tis not as pure as believed to be?"

The sister sighed. "I suppose it's no wonder that the Maker turned his back on us if this is how we act to one another."

"Or maybe this 'Maker' of yours never existed, and is, in fact, just a way for people to control those that they fear?"

"No! The Maker is there! He speaks to me. Sends me visions." Leliana

declared.

They all stopped in their tracks. Alistair looked at her worriedly.

"Did you hit your head too hard in the Tower of Ishal?" He asked, looking at her head.

"For once, I agree with the buffoon. Perhaps mother didn't heal you as well as she'd first thought." Morrigan put in.

Xavier looked at her, his face unreadable.

"Is this what you honestly believe?" He asked.

She nodded. "I believe the Maker misses us, and He sends me visions to help and prepare people for Him. That's how I met Duncan. He sent me a vision of this town, and Duncan and Cailan stopped into the very tavern I stayed at!"

She slapped at Alistair's hands as he tried to run them through her hair to check for abrasions.

"Would you stop that!"

He asked off at her tone, and they all looked at her.

Xavier broke the silence.

"I believe you."

He pulled her into a hug, a stiff one since he had little to no experience giving them, and she hugged back.

When they broke apart, Alistair clapped her on the back.

"I suppose it's possible. I mean, people thought Andraste was a loon when She first started out, and we see where She is now." He said.

Morrigan scoffed, and walked toward the chantry.

"If you are all done with your declarations of love and acceptance, I'd like to move on before the darkspawn show up."

 **!**

They walked into the revered mother's office, where she was seated.

Leliana bowed in greetings, and the revered mother nodded her head in return.

"Will you be making a donation to the chantry, my friend? You look like you have salvaged more of vale than most who make it here." She said.

"What tithe is acceptable, mother?" Leliana asked.

"Might I suggest thirty silver?"

Leliana thought for a moment. She'd made quite a few sovereigns with the missions on the chantry board, and she'd need to convince this mother to release the qunari from his cage, and it seemed like the people in this village could use anyone's they could get.

"I can offer five sovereigns."

The mother seemed astounded.

"These poor souls will weep at your generosity. Thank you! Now then, what can I do for you?"

Leliana got to the point. "I'd like to talk to you about Sten, the qunari you imprisoned."

The mother stood, and began to pace slowly.

"It might've been kinder to execute him. But I leave his fate to the Maker. Why does he interest you?" She asked, stopping in front of Leliana.

The sister looked at her, puzzled.

"He butchered an entire farmhold. One of the youngest hid long enough to survive. The child said his father had found the qunari gravely wounded and took him in. That kindness was repaid with murder. The bann's men found the qunari just...standing there, amidst the carnage. He did not resist them."

Leliana licked her lips, taking in the information. The sister in her said that was horrible, and he should be left out there, while the assassin said that there were two sides to every coin.

"Well you see, mother, I am an ambassador from the northern islands of the qunari. I've come to take him home, where he will be judged according to the Qun."

The revered mother was suspicious.

"That is...convenient. I didn't think the qunari even knew he was here. And I didn't know that the qunari lands were home to humans, as well."

"Of course they did! We sent him here for trade and well, all are accepted into the ways of the Qun." Leliana smiled.

 _Maker forgive me for this,_ she prayed silently.

"...Alright, then. You'll need this," she handed Leliana the key to the cage door. I pray this is the right path, for all our sakes."

Leliana left without another word.

 **!**

When she returned to the cage, Sten didn't seemed surprised.

"You wish something more of me?" He asked.

Leliana shook her head. "I have the key for your cage. I'm here to free you."

Sten seemed almost shocked.

Almost.

"I must confess, I did not think the priestess would part with it."

Leliana chuckled. "Does it matter? You can be free!"

Sten scowled. "Perhaps we have different ideas of freedom."

Leliana became serious. "I know of your crimes. If they weigh on you, you can atone for them by assisting me."

Sten nodded. "So be it. Set me free and I will follow you against the Blight."

Leliana nodded her agreement, and unlocked the cage.

"And so it is done." Sten said once it was open.

"I will follow you into battle, and in doing so I shall find my atonement."

Leliana bowed her head to him.

"Thank you, Sten. Glad to have you with me."

"May we proceed? I am eager to be elsewhere."

"I agree. Let us depart, shall we?"

 **!**

 **So that's that! This was supposed to be longer, believe it or not, but my phone was like "nah fam, that's enough." So. I think over 3,000 words is good too, yeah? Also, I know Leliana was really out of character with the killing of the bandit, but when she fights in the game, she seems to almost taunt the enemies. My theory is that if someone if hurting someone else, either blatantly or indirectly, she'll do whatever necessary to stop it, whether it's simply persuading a merchant to lower is prices, or killing a bandit to send a message. Anyways, I'll see you all next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

 **So this is the second half of the last chapter. It's a bit wordy, as well, but I think it's shorter.**

 **Also, I find myself in need of a Beta reader. Anyone interested?**

 **See ya at the bottom!**

 **!**

As they headed for their next destination, they came across what looked to be a fierce battle.

It seems a dwarven man and his son were fighting off a squad of darkspawn. Boxes and trinkets from their wagon littered the area around them.

The group leapt into action alongside the two, and in a short time, slaughtered the monsters, sending them back from whence they came.

The oldest of the two dwarves spoke up once their weapons were sheathed.

"Mighty timely arrival there, my friend. I'm much obliged." He said with a chuckle and a large, cheesy smile.

Leliana smiled back down at him. "You're welcome, Monsieur."

He held his small hand out. "The name's Bodahn Feddic, merchant and entrepreneur. Next to me's my boy Sandal. Say hello, son."

Leliana shook Bodahn's hand, and waved politely to the boy in response to his hello.

"The road's been mighty dangerous these days. Mind if I ask what brings you out here? Perhaps we're going the same way."

Leliana chuckled. "It's a bit complicated, but you're welcome to come along, if you wish."

Bodahn's eyes widened. "You must be the Grey Wardens I've heard about." He laughed.

"Thank you for the offer, but there may be more excitement on your path than is good for my boy and me. Allow me to bid you farewell and good fortune." He bowed his head slightly.

"Goodbye!" Sandal chimed in.

As they headed down the path, they heard Bodahn's voice.

"Now, let's get this mess cleaned up, shall we?"

 **!**

They had been walking for hours, and night had fallen, when they came upon a small clearing.

It was situated in a cluster of hills and massive rocks, making it extremely difficult for anyone to surprise them. The only way in or out was a small path, the path that they were currently taking.

"Is here good?" She asked her allies. Nods and grunts of agreement and exhaustion came back at her, and they went into the clearing.

They all began setting up their tents, Morrigan seeing hers up as far away from the rest of the group as possible.

Leliana frowned, but didn't stop her. She pitched her tent, but decided to sleep outside. The rest of the group pitched their tents around hers, and the rogue decided that she'd build a large fire in the center to keep everyone warm.

She laid down on a collection of animal skins she had brought by the fire, and fell asleep.

 **!**

 _A massive dragon, screaming its unnatural, hellish cry, as more darkspawn poured out of every imaginable crevice and hole in sight._

 _There was no sky, only darkness, as if they were in the very center of the earth._

 _The sound of a million pairs of feet marching out of time, deafening to Leliana's ears._

 _The dragon screamed once again, and turned to where Leliana was._

Before their eyes could meet, Leliana jolted awake, sitting up quickly. She was panting, and drenched in sweat.

Alistair sat a few feet away from her, stoking the fire.

"Bad dreams, huh?" He asked, throwing the stick he was using into the fire.

Leliana attempted a smile, her breathing sill not quite under control.

"Must've been something I ate."

Alistair wasn't buying it. "Drank, more like. As in the tainted blood, remember?"

Leliana nodded. He went on.

"You see, part of being a Grey Warden is being able to hear the darkspawn. That's what your dream was. Hearing them."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"The archdemon, it..."talks" to the horde, and we feel it just as they do. That's why we know this is really a Blight."

Leliana's brow furrowed. "The archdemon? Is that the dragon?"

"I don't know if it's really a dragon, but it sure looks like one. But yes. That's the archdemon."

He looked over to Xavier, who was starting to twitch.

"It takes a bit, but eventually you can block the dreams out. Some of the older Grey Wardens say they can understand the archdemon a bit, but I sure can't."

He stood, dusting his trousers off.

"Anyhow, when I heard you thrashing around, I thought I should tell you. It was scary at first for me, too."

Leliana smiled at the man, a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Alistair. I appreciate it."

He smiled back. "That's what I'm here for. To deliver unpleasant news and witty one-liners."

He walked off into the shadows, towards a lake they'd found, and Leliana was left alone.

She looked over to where Morrigan had set up camp. The witch was still up, sitting by her fire and manipulating the flames out of boredom.

The sister stood up, and made her way over to her.

 **!**

She sat down wordlessly next to the paler woman, staring at the fire. She pulled her knees to her chest and placed her forehead on them sighing inaudibly.

When she unraveled herself, stretching her legs in front of her and crossing them, Leliana looked over and saw Morrigan watching her.

"What do you wish of me?" Morrigan asked in a neutral voice.

"What?" Leliana asked. She didn't really expect the woman to talk to her.

"You came to _me_ , sat down next to _me_ , and are now looking at _me_. You must wish something." Morrigan replied.

Leliana thought for a moment.

"I'd like to ask you something." She responded.

"If you must."

Leliana blinked, surprised. She was expecting a fight.

"Well. I've told stories of your mother, Flemeth, the Great Witch of the Wilds. I want to know, is she really what she seems to be?" She decided to ask.

Morrigan chuckled, morphing the flames into a large question mark.

"Well, that depends, does it not? Tell me, you've met her, you've told your stories. What does she seem to be?"

Leliana thought her answer over for a bit.

"The stories make her sound powerful and feared, a force to be reckoned with, but truthfully?" Leliana laughed, before going on. "A nutty old bat!"

Morrigan laughed, a deep, sultry laugh, and Leliana's heart skipped a beat.

"Sometimes I wonder the very same thing." She responded, the flames now taking the form of a large bat.

"If you tell these tales, the ones that the Chasind still tell of my mother, to frighten their children into obedience, I'd wager you don't know the truth, then?" Morrigan asked.

The flames became the form of an adult and a child, the child cowering as the adult's hands moved spastically.

Leliana nodded. "You'd win that wager. What would the truth be?"

"I can relay what Flemeth once told me, herself. And you can decide whether or not 'tis the truth. If you desire." The apostate looked at her companion.

"That sounds interesting." Leliana replied.

"As the tale is sung by the _bards_ ," Morrigan smirked, "there was a time when Flemeth was young and beautiful. A fair lass in a land of barbarian men, the desire of any who saw her. "

The flames were then an outline of a young woman in a dress, her hair and dress flowing into a fake breeze.

"Just how long ago is this?" Leliana asked.

"You're the bard. You should know." Morrigan answered. Leliana poked her in her side, her soft flesh bare against the her finger tip. She kept at it until her hand was swatted away.

"Keep that up and I _will_ burn your fingers to the bone." Morrigan threatened, the flames curling around her pale wrist and over her hand, forming some sort of glove.

"Well, how long ago was it?" Leliana asked, pretending not to be phased.

Morrigan rolled her eyes. "Fine. It was many centuries ago, before this land was even named Fereldan."

She manipulated the flames back onto the pile of wood, using it as a visual aid to tell her story.

"The tales say that Flemeth fell in love with Osen, the bard, and fled the castle of her husband, the dread Lord Conobar, and that he sees vengeance on her for her infidelity." She said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"In truth, my mother claims that 'twas Osen who was her husband, and Conobar the jealous lord that looked on from afar."

The flames showed two figure dancing together, and a third to the side.

"Lord Conobar approached young Osen and offered him great wealth and power in exchange for his lovely wife. And Osen agreed."

The third figure cut into the dance, speaking with the taller one.

Leliana thought about this. It seemed no different than the marriage arrangements in Val Royeaux. All part of The Game.

"Seems like a fair deal." She said simply.

Morrigan nodded in agreement. She seemed almost surprised that Leliana thought so.

"Aye, it was. 'Twas Flemeth who suggested the arrangement in the first place."

The flames showed the smaller figure gesturing between the others.

Leliana blinked. _Strange. But okay._

"All would have been well, had Lord Conobar kept his end of the bargain. But he was a foul man who bargained with coin he did not possess."

The bard snorted. "He could've got in well with the nobles in Orlais."

"Are they all like that?"

"They'd frame their own mother for murder if it meant they got ahead of their rivals. But that's politics."

Morrigan smirked. "Charming people." Leliana nodded her agreement.

"Anyways, Osen was lead off to a field and slain, left for dead. Flemeth spoke to the spirits and learned of the deed, and swore revenge."

The flames showed the woman speaking to wisps, then angrily gesturing.

"So she truly loved Osen, then?" Leliana asked.

"That was not the point. Conobar had no honor, so she would not have him." Morrigan replied.

"Flemeth begged the spirits to aid her, and 'twas they who slew Conobar. The demon the legend tell of came later." She explained.

The flames showed the wisps approaching a tall figure and engulfing him, dragging him down into the fire.

"Lord Conobar's allies chased Flemeth, you see. Chased her to the Wilds, and there she hid. There she found the demon and he made her strong." The flames showed the woman fleeing, then running into a massive figure, then the two morphed into one.

"The legends tell of the great hero Cormac, he who defeated Flemeth and her great army when she invaded the lowlands centuries later. All lies."

Leliana scrunched her nose up. "Which? She never invaded, or he never defeated her?"

Morrigan smirked, facing her. "The truth of the matter is that there was never an invasion. As Flemeth tells it, the Chasind never raised an army under her banner, and she never fought with any warrior named Cormac."

"That's. Kind of sad. I liked telling that part."

Morrigan chuckled. "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, then."

"Instead, Cormac lead a brutal civil war against his own people, and later claimed it was to vanquish evil that had taken root amongst the lords. Thus he was hailed a hero."

Leliana's jaw dropped. "That's. Awful. To murder your own people, then claim it was 'evil'? That's despicable!"

"That's politics." Morrigan repeated to her with a slight smile.

Leliana only sighed, and nodded.

"But Flemeth was only attached to the legend much later. Perhaps 'twas due to the great war with the Chasind that eventually came, but Mother claims not to know how it began."

Leliana studied the woman's face. "Do you believe the version she told you?"

Morrigan thought for a moment.

"I do not believe everything that Flemeth claims. Oft it seems her bitterness has colored her memories."

"But on the whole? Yes. I believe this tale, if not all."

"But if this all happened so long ago, how is it that Flemeth has survived for so long?"

"The demon within her has transformed her into...something else. An abomination, perhaps some would say? I know not. I only know that she is a part of the Wilds. But she is not immortal. She bleeds. A blade in her heart would kill her like any other, were it lucky enough to find her."

"Do you think the demon changed her personality in any way?"

"Honestly? 'Tis unlikely. I'd imagine Flemeth was the same nutty old bat she is now." Morrigan smirked at her.

 _That damned smirk will be the death of me,_ Leliana thought.

"The legend tells of Flemeth having many daughters. Have you any sisters?" She asked.

"I have asked of this, myself. The stories tell of many witches of the Wilds, after all. Not just one. And these tales existed long before I did."

Morrigan frowned. "Flemeth refuses to speak of her other daughters, if they existed. So should I believe I am her first? I doubt that, too."

It was at this point Leliana saw Xavier start to thrash on his mat. As much as she didn't want to part company, she knew he should have someone there with him.

"It was an...interesting story. Thank you, Morrigan." She said.

Morrigan smiled. "Flemeth tells it with far more embellishment than I, but you are welcome."

She raised a brow. "Dare I ask of your own mother? Few are abominations of legend, 'tis true, but I find myself curious, nonetheless."

Leliana smiled sadly, standing up. "She died when I was a young girl."

Morrigan nodded, accepting the information. "Oh. Then, you have my sympathies, for what it's worth."

Leliana looked into the witch's eyes. "It's okay. It happened a long time ago. I've made my peace with it. Now then. I will let you sleep. Good night, Morrigan."

The witch looked at her, puzzled. "Yes. Good night."

 **!**

As she headed towards him, she saw a rather small movement out of the corner of her eye. When she turned, she spied the two dwarves from earlier, Bodahn and Sandal. She made her way over.

"Ah! It's good to see you, my timely rescuer!" The older man exclaimed, shaking Leliana's hand vigorously. "Bodahn Feddic at your service once again!"

He continued. "I saw your camp and remembered the kind offer you made the last time we met, and is there anywhere safer for a poor merchant and his son to sleep? I think not!"

He seemed to sense Leliana's unease, though she had none, and added, "I'm willing to offer you a fine discount for the inconvenience of our presence. How does that sound? Good? Yes?"

The bard laughed at his antics. "Of course you may stay, Bodahn. Just mind yourselves." She gestured to Sten, who seemed to sense that it was a time to look particularly massive, and added, "We'll be watching." With a wink.

 **!**

 **There we go! Another chapter down! Hope ya liked it, and I'll see ya next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

 **I do hope everyone is enjoying the story! I'll see you all at the bottom!**

 **Before anyone asks, I'm going to say basic things, like Morrigan being a shifter, or Leliana being a former bard, are already known. The group has traveled throughout the breaks in the story, and those travels weren't just filled with silence. Hope that helps!**

 **!**

"Warden." The word was a command, right outside of Leliana's tent in a voice that she'd just been dreaming about. It was early in the morning, the bard guessed, because dawn had not yet come, but she could no longer hear the roaring of the fire from her tent.

She undid the latches to the flap with a yawn, pulling it back and letting Morrigan in.

"Witch." Leliana responded, sitting up and stroking the soft animal furs that made up the floor of her tent absentmindedly.

Morrigan sat in front of her, watching with an unreadable expression.

"I have a query."

Leliana laughed. "A query? At this hour of the night?" Her tone suggested she wasn't bothered by the intrusion, however.

"You left before I had the chance to ask." Morrigan shot back softly. Leliana knew it could've waited until morning, but didn't say anything about it.

The bard rubbed the sleep from her eyes before motioning for Morrigan to continue. She figured she'd had enough, anyhow.

"Very well. What is your question, Morrigan?"

"This vision of yours..." Morrigan trailed off.

Leliana felt her chest tighten, and she sighed to try to relax it.

"I knew this would come up sooner or later. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I understand, and I can stay away from you, if you wi-" she began to spill, her mind getting the better of her, before Morrigan slapped a hand over her mouth.

"I never said it made me uncomfortable. I simply wanted to know what you meant." She slowly took her hand off, and waited for Leliana to continue.

"...I don't know how to explain, but I had this dream..."

She ran a hand through her short, auburn locks.

"In it there was an impenetrable darkness... So dense, so.. _.real."_

She paused, distressed.

"And there was this noise, this terrible, ungodly noise..."

He breath quickened. The dream had terrified her.

"I stood on a peak and watched as the darkness consumed everything. And when the storm swallowed the last of the sun's light, I..."

She looked down at the animal skins.

"I fell. And the darkness drew me in."

Morrigan looked at the woman, hiding her worry behind a mask.

"And then?"

"I saw, in the depths of it, a road sign, with Lothering's name on it. And two sets of armor, silver and gold. Then the marching of the darkspawn. And." Leliana stopped.

Morrigan looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"And your eyes."

The witch opened her mouth in a silent 'o'.

Leliana moved on quickly, determined not to make it awkward.

"When I woke, I went to the chantry's gardens, as I always do. But that day, the rose bush in the corner had flowered. Everyone knew that bush was dead. It was gray, and twisted, and gnarled; the ugliest thing you ever saw; but there it was. A single, beautiful rose."

Leliana looked into Morrigan's eyes.

"It was as if the Maker stretched out His hand to say, 'Even in the midst of this darkness, there's is hope and beauty. Have faith.'"

"And that's what made you join the Grey Wardens?"

The rogue sighed. "In my dream, I fell, or...maybe I jumped? I don't know. But I'd do anything to stop the Blight. I know we can do it."

There was a sparkle in her eyes that Morrigan was drawn to for some reason.

"There are so many good things in the Maker's world. How can I sit idly by while the Blight devours everything?"

Morrigan tilted her head to the side. "I suppose I couldn't sit idly by, either."

Leliana smiled at her. "That is why you are here."

The witch nodded.

"Tell me, though. What was life like in the cloister?"

"Very quiet. It was a life suited for contemplation. In the cloister, away from the fuss and flurry of the city and it's politics, I found peace. And in that stillness, I could hear the Maker."

The chuckled, but her expression was one of sadness.

"But it was not perfect. Some of my chantry fellows were condescending. That is the nature of religious folk."

Morrigan agreed. But it was because she was a mage. Shouldn't they accept this Maker's prophecies?

"Condescending? I find that hard to believe. How?"

Leliana had a fire in her eyes. "When I talked about my beliefs, that the Maker reveals Himself in the beauty of His world, they," a pause.

"Treated me with disdain. They wanted to believe that He is gone, so that when He turns His gaze upon them, it means they are special. Chosen. That He cannot possibly have love for all, the sick and weary, the beggars and the fools."

Morrigan laughed. "If I have learned anything from Flemeth, 'tis that nobody is special. I much prefer your ideas to those of the chantry. At least you haven't tried to kill me yet."

Leliana smirked. "Don't tempt me, witch."

Morrigan stifled a yawn, and rose.

"Well, you've been entertaining, but I believe I shall turn in for the night."

Leliana nodded. "Very well. Sleep tight, Morrigan."

 **!**

The next day, Leliana was roused by Alistair and Xavier, and the three sat by the dying embers of their campfire, discussing where they should head out today.

"I think the Arl might be our best bet for now." Alistair began, poking the embers with a stick.

"Why do you say that? We could just as easily visit the Circle of Magi, or the dwarves." Xavier said, not to be rude, but to prove a point.

"Well, I know the Arl. He's a good man, and he can lend us a lot of help. We just have to talk to him."

Leliana nodded. "He'd probably be the easiest, if he's anything like Alistair says." She put in.

Xavier thought about it, then silently agreed, nodding his head.

Alistair added some firewood, carefully bringing the fire back to life. He stood up, wandering over to his tent and pulling out a large pot.

"Well, in that case, who wants breakfast?"

 **!**

Leliana, Xavier, and Alistair set off, dragging along a grumpy Morrigan, who'd been roused from her sleep by Barkspawn's broad tongue along her cheek. They'd left Sten behind to watch the camp, along with the mabari, as the qunari had taken a liking to him.

As they approached the village, Alistair stopped them.

"Look, can we talk for a moment? I need to tell you something I, ah, probably should've told you earlier." He started, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Xavier and Leliana regarded him with curiosity, while Morrigan crossed her arms, indifferent.

"What's on your mind?" Xavier asked him.

"Well, let's see. How do I tell you this? We're almost at Redcliffe. Did I say how I know Arl Eamon, exactly?" He asked, rubbing his stubble.

"Why? Are you his son?" Leliana asked.

 _That would make this agreement all the more promising_ , assassin Leliana stated.

Alistair chuckled nervously.

"No, no. I'm not his son."

He took a deep breath, and blurted it all out.

"I'm a bastard, my mother was a serving girl at Redcliffe castle and she died when I was born. Arl Eamon took me in and raised me before I was sent to the Chantry."

He sighed, collecting himself. "The reason he did that was because...well, because my father was King Maric. Which made Cailan my...half-brother, I suppose."

Morrigan laughed, the sound ringing sweetly in Leliana's ears.

"I suppose I was correct in my assumption that you are, in fact, a bastard, Alistair." She smirked.

He scowled at her, and Leliana intervened.

"Why wait to tell us this, Alistair?"

He scrambled for words.

"I. I would've told you, but...it never really meant anything to me. I was... _inconvenient.._ to Cailan's rule, so they kept me a secret. I've never really talked about it to anyone." He admitted.

"Everyone who knew either resented me for it, or they coddled me...even _Duncan_ kept me out of the fighting because of it. I didn't want any of you to know for as long as possible. I'm. I'm sorry." He looked ashamed.

Leliana placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think I understand."

Being an assassin, when she told people of her profession, they were either terrified, or they constantly wanted to put out contracts on people who'd scorned them. She knew where he was coming from.

Alistair sighed in relief. "Oh, good. I'm glad. It's not like I got special treatment for it, anyhow." He half smiled.

"Arl Eamon eventually married a young woman from Orlais, despite all of the problems it caused with the king soon after the war. He loved her a great deal." He looked down at the ground.

"Anyway, the new arlessa resented the rumors which pegged me as the arl's bastard. They weren't true, but of course they existed. The arl didn't care. But she did."

He scowled. "So off I was packed to the nearest monastery at age ten. Just as well. The arlessa made sure the castle wasn't a home to me by that point. She despised me."

"What an awful thing to do to a child!" Leliana said, crossing her arms.

Alistair shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. She felt threatened by my presence, I can see that now. I can't say I blame her. She wondered if the rumors were true herself, I bet."

His face contorted into pain, suddenly. "I remember I had an amulet with Andraste's holy symbol on it, the only thing I had of my mother's. I was so furious at being sent away, I tot it off and threw it at the wall and it shattered."

He ran a hand through his short hair. "Stupid, _stupid_ thing to do. The arl came by a few times to see how I was, but I was stubborn. I hated it there and blamed him for everything...and eventually he just stopped coming."

"You were young and angry.." Xavier threw in.

"And raised by dogs. Or I may as well have been, the way I acted. But maybe all young bastards act like that, I don't know." He berated himself.

"All I know is that the arl is a good man and well-loved by the people. He was also King Cailan's uncle, so he has a personal motivation to see Loghain pay for what he did."

He cleared his throat. "So there you have it. Now can we move on, and I'll just pretend you still think I'm some nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens."

Leliana nodded, and began walking away.

"As you command, my prince." She said, her smile seeping into her voice.

"Oh, lovely. I'm going to regret this, somehow I just know it." Alistair replied, though he was smiling.

 **!**

 **That's all for this chapter! As always, it'd be awesome if ya left a review!**

 **Hope ya liked it, and I'll see ya next chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

 **Alright, lovelies, here's the next chapter! See ya at the bottom!**

 **!**

The group approached a stone bridge, where a man stood, a bow and a quiver of arrows strapped to his back.

"A group of travelers! Though, I can scarcely believe it. Have you come to help us?" He asked hopefully.

"We're on important business. We're here to see Arl Eamon." Xavier said evenly.

"The arl? Then...you don't know? Has nobody out there heard?" He asked.

"What are you talking about? Heard what?" Alistair asked him.

"We're under attack. Monsters come out of the castle every night and attack us until dawn. Everyone's been fighting. And dying."

"Apparently, everyone seems to agree that a Blight is the perfect time to start killing each other. Marvelous, really." Morrigan quipped.

"We've no army to defend us, no arl and no king to send us help. So many are dead, and those left are terrified they're next." The man lamented.

"Hold on, what's this evil that's attacking you?" Alistair asked in an authoritative voice.

"I... I don't rightly know. I'm sorry. Nobody does. But I should take you to Bann Teagan. He's all that's holding us together. He'll want to see you."

"Bann Teagan? Arl Eamon's brother? He's here?"

"Yes. It's not far, if you'll come with me."

And with that, the man lead the group into the village.

 **!**

They walked into the chantry, and noticed many lying wounded around them. Others, they're faces stained with tears, had their heads bowed in prayer, hoping the Maker hadn't forsaken them.

Leliana sent a silent prayer their way, and continued on to this Bann Teagan.

"It's...Tomas, yes?" He began. The man leading them, Tomas, nodded.

"And who are these people with you? They're obviously not simple travelers."

Tomas shook his head. "No, my lord. They just arrived, and I thought you would want to see them."

Teagan smiled. "Well done, Tomas. Greetings, friends. I'm Teagan, Bann of Rainesfere, brother to the arl." He bowed.

Alistair smiled at him. "I remember you, Teagan. Though, I was a lot younger. And covered in mud."

Teagan thought for a moment. "Covered in mud..? Alistair? Is that you?"

When Alistair nodded, the Bann hugged him tightly, before pulling away to examine him.

"You're alive! This is wonderful news!"

Alistair chuckled. "Still alive, yes. Though I'm just as surprised as you are, believe me."

Bann Teagan pulled away, walking backwards to face the rest of them.

"Indeed. Loghain would have us believe all Grey Wardens died Along with my nephew, amongst other things." He said grimly.

Xavier stepped up. "Why? What has he said about us?"

"That Loghain pulled out his own men in order to save them. That Cailan risked the entire nation's safety in the name of glory." The Bann's upper lip curled in disgust.

"Loghain calls the Grey Wardens traitors, murderers of the king. I don't believe it. It is an act of a desperate man."

"Desperate, indeed." Leliana said to herself, crossing her arms.

 _Genius move, really. To try to turn the population against your enemies_ , assassin Leliana mused.

 _And desperate_ , Leliana shot back. _He had no other proof of this. It will be easy to tear down once the people get over his past deeds_. 

"So..." The Bann's voice brought Leliana out of her thoughts.

"You all are Grey Wardens, as well?" He asked.

"Leliana and Xavier are. Morrigan just mostly sulks in the background." Alistair put in.

"This coming from a man who follows the two initiates around like lost mabari. 'Tis sad, truly." Morrigan shot back.

"A pleasure to meet you." Teagan chuckled.

"I wish it were under better circumstances. You're here to see my brother, correct? Unfortunately, that might be a problem. Eamon is gravely ill, and no one has heard from the castle in days. No guards patrol the walls, and no one has responded to my shouts."

He put his hands behind his back, a general's stance. "The attacks started a few nights ago. Evil... _things_...surged from the castle. We drove them back, but many perished during the assault." He looked remorseful.

"We could help you drive them back." Leliana offered.

"How pointless, to help these villagers fight an impossible battle. One would think we had enough to contend with, elsewhere." Morrigan snarked.

Bann Teagan ignored her. "Thank you! Thank you, this...this means more to me than you can guess."

He turned to Tomas. "Please tell Murdock what transpired. Then return to your post."

"Yes mi'lord." Tomas nodded, and rushed off.

"Murdock, the village mayor, is outside the chantry. Ser Perth, one of Eamon's knights, is just up the cliff at the windmill, watching the castle. You may discuss with them the preparations for the coming battle."

Leliana nodded. "We're on our way."

 **!**

On the way, she passed a woman next to the doors looking particularly devastated.

Leliana stopped next to her. "Are you okay, Madame?" She placed a hand gently on the woman's shoulder.

"Sorry, and I bothering you?" She sniffed, and looked down at the ground.

"I...I'll try to be more quiet."

Leliana smiled reassuringly. "You are not bothering me."

The woman's tears seemed to come more rapidly at that, and she berated herself aloud.

"I shouldn't be such a crybaby. With mother gone now, I have to be brave. I just...I can't help myself. I'm so frightened!"

She tried to compose herself, but only started crying harder. "Those...those things dragged my mother away. I don't know what happened to her, but I hear her screaming all the time, everywhere!"

Leliana winced at the thought, having flashbacks of being chained inside of a small room, hearing her friends' endless screams around her.

Luckily, Alistair stepped in for her. "How terrible! You poor thing...I wish there were something we could do to help." He wrapped an arm around the girl.

She buried her face into his shoulder. "And now my brother, Bevin...he ran off. I...I don't know where he is! I'm so scared they got him, too!"

Leliana shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Don't worry, Madame. We'll look for him."

The girl's eyes seemed to have a small glimmer of hope in them. "You, you will? Thank you so much! Please find him!"

She nodded, and accepted the crushing hug the girl, who's name she was told was Kaitlyn, gave her.

"He may have gotten scared and ran back to the old house." Kaitlyn told them, wiping her eyes furiously.

Leliana nodded, and she and the rest of her team headed out.

 **!**

"You know, it's a lot easier to find a house a young boy might be in when you know which house it is." Alistair remarked sarcastically.

Leliana smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I should've asked her where it was. My mind was elsewhere."

Xavier chimed in. "I noticed that. Where'd you go when you spaced out like that?" He inquired, his gaze calculating.

"I had a bad dream last night. It just drifted back to it when she mentioned the screams." Leliana lied easily.

"Here. This door seems to be unlocked. Perfect for a young boy." Morrigan was the only one who seemed to notice the lie, but said nothing, instead distracting the others.

Upon entering, they noticed that it wasn't a house, but a store.

"Maybe there's something in here the refugees could use?" Alistair suggested. They began to look around.

It was Alistair who thought to check inside the barrels, and found that at least five of the seven barrels there were filled with lamp oil.

"This may come in handy later. Demons are still flammable in this realm of existence, you know." Xavier chuckled. The group agreed, and made a mental note to tell one of the commanders about this before that night.

They exited the store, and began to look for the boy once again. Eventually, they found another home left unlocked, and tried that one.

This one seemed much more like a home, and they began to look around in places a small child may hide. Leliana entered what looked like a bedroom, and immediately heard movement from inside a large wardrobe. She heard a sharp inhale, and then silence. The rogue stuck her head out of the room, and silently motioned her friends over. She drew her bow, and Alistair took one of the knobs, while Xavier took another. They looked back at Leliana.

She gave a short nod, and they looked to each other, silently counting down, and yanking the wardrobe open. A small boy fell out, and Leliana exhaled, replacing her bow on her back.

"Please don't hurt me! I'll go back to the Chantry if you wish! I didn't mean any harm!" He curled up into himself.

The bard bit her lip to keep from laughing, and bent down next to the boy.

"You must be Bevin. Your sister is looking for you, you know." He looked up at her, and she slowly coaxed him into standing.

"I just...didn't want to be at the chantry anymore. Everyone's scared, and I wanted to be brave." He puffed his chest out.

Xavier looked down at the boy. "You need to be brave for your sister. She's worried sick, and she's a mess without you."

"Y-yes sir...thank you sir!" He ran out of the house.

Alistair turned to Xavier. "How is it that you're so much nicer to kids than people?"

Xavier smirked at him. "Because children are just naive, and are molded by what they grow up with. Adults are just stubborn fools who're stuck in their ways."

Alistair nodded. "Fair point." The group then headed back to the Chantry to make sure the boy got back.

When they entered, they found Kaitlyn giving him the same bonecrushing hug she'd given them just moments ago.

She caught Leliana's eye, and hugged her again. "Bevin said you were the one who found him. I can't possibly repay you!"

The redhead smiled, and hugged her back gently. "Just stay safe, both of you."

The girl pulled back, and kissed her cheek. "The Maker sent you. I just know it." She then released Leliana, missing the flash of anger that went through Morrigan's eyes.

 **!**

When they exited the Chantry, they headed straight for the man who seemed to be in charge closest to them, a man by the name of Murdock.

"So you're the Grey Warden, are you?" He asked, his voice gruff. "I didn't think they made women Grey Wardens."

This irritated Leliana, and her assassin side was already plotting ways to end this man using his own beard braids.

She smiled, hiding her irritation. "I don't think the darkspawn care who kills them."

He scoffed. "If you haven't noticed, there aren't darkspawn around these parts. Not yet, anyway."

He seemed to realize how he was coming off, and backtracked. "We aren't turning down anyone who wants to help, though. Don't take me for an ingrate, or anything." He said sheepishly.

Morrigan was just about to interject when Alistair cut her off. "Well, we want to help any way we can. You can trust us."

Murdock extended his hand, and the party (besides Morrigan, who gave him a withering stare that made him physically take a step back) shook it.

"I'm the mayor of what's left of this village, provided we aren't all killed and hauled off to the castle tonight." He said grimly.

Leliana smiled at him. "Have faith, missuer. We will defeat this evil together."

He seemed astonished at her optimism. "I...I hope you're right. I've been trying to hold us together, but it isn't easy."

"Anyhow, you're here, and they tell me you're in charge."

Leliana shrugged. "I wouldn't say 'in charge'. We just want to know what we can do to help."

Murdock got straight into it. "We need whatever weapons and armor we've got repaired, and quickly, or half of us will be fighting without either."

He motioned to a home next to them. "Owen's the only blacksmith who can do it, but the stubborn fool refuses to even talk. If we're to be ready for tonight, we'll need that crotchety bastard's help." He scowled.

Leliana nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Anything else?"

He went on. "We could use some extra bodies. Having a veteran like Dwyn in the militia would help a lot, but he flat out refuses." He pointed in the direction of the houses by the lake.

"Well then, we'll see what we can do to fix the situations." The lay sister promised.

The group headed first in the direction of the blacksmith, since that seemed to be more essential.

Alistair knocked on the door, and was met with a rather morose voice. "Go away, curse you! Leave me in peace! You've already taken everything out of my stores! There's nothing left!"

"He doesn't sound too happy." The ex Templar observed.

"Is this Owen the blacksmith? I'd like to speak with you."

The voice seemed surprised. "Oh? Who is that? What do you want? I've been through enough..."

"I'd prefer to speak face to face, if that's alright. Do you mind if my friends and I come in?"

Silence for a moment.

Finally, "alright. Let me undo the locks. All I ask is that you don't make any trouble."

They entered, and found a sad old man leaned against one of the walls of the blacksmith.

"Maker's breath! Leliana exclaimed. "What is that smell? It's like someone set a brewery on fire."

Xavier chimed in. "Somebody's been drinking..." He said in a sing song voice.

The man seemed unmoved. "Alright, so I let you in. You wanted to talk; now we're talking. Mind telling me who you are?"

Alistair straightened up. "My name is Alistair, a Grey Warden helping Bann Teagan."

The man laughed drunkenly. "A Grey Warden, is it? Ha, it takes all kinds." He walked towards the group.

"Anyhow, my name's Owen...though you might already know that. Care to join me as I get besotted? Or is there something in particular you wanted?"

"The militia desperately needs your help." Alistair replied.

This seemed to anger the blacksmith. "Why should I help Murdock when he wont help me, hmm? My girl, Valena, is one of the arlessa's maids and she's trapped up there in the castle, but the mayor won't send anyone after her."

Alistair saw an opportunity. "We will rescue your daughter. Just help these men so that they might buy us some time to do so." He said.

"It'd do me a world of good to think maybe someone like you could go in and find her..." He trailed off. "Provided any of us live through the night."

"We'll do our best to bring her home safely."

This seemed to anger Owen. "Not good enough! Murdock said the same damned thing and I didn't believe him, either."

Morrigan scoffed. "You're lucky our buffoon _friend_ here is even offering this. You are asking a great deal, you wretched little man."

"I want a promise. Promise me you'll look for her, that you'll bring her back to me if you can." He pleaded to the group.

Alistair placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "You have my word. We'll find her."

"I'll accept that. It's something to hope for, at least." He turned to the forge.

"Right then. It seems I have some work to do. Murdock just better send his men in here as soon as possible if I'm going to get to all these repairs and get them done by nightfall."

The group then headed to Dwyn's home, which they found locked. This was something Leliana easily fixed.

Upon entering, they found a short dwarf, and two human mercenaries next to him.

"Wonderful. Intruders." The dwarf deadpanned. "I hope you've a good reason for breaking and entering into my home."

Leliana took the lead. "I apologize. We mean you no harm."

"Apology accepted. The name's Dwyn. Pleased to meet you. Now get out."

"Murdock says he needs you for the militia." Leliana crossed her arms.

"So, what? You're recruiting for him? I'll tell you what I told him. I'm not risking my neck for this town." He mimicked Leliana's stance.

She drew her daggers, and regarded him with a cold look, one of an assassin. "You are outnumbered, love. Either die out there or here and now." The air became thick. Nobody expected this out of such a sweet girl.

Finally, Dwyn spoke up. "So, this is what it comes down to, huh? Fine, I'll go if you want me out there so badly."

"Good man." She smiled and sheathed her blade once more.

The dwarf scoffed. "Spoken like someone who doesn't know me very well. Go tell Murdock he won. And I better see you out there when the time comes." He pushed past the group to get to his bag, unloading things he'd need for the attack.

They headed back out to Murdock, and told him the news.

"The damned fool is falling over drunk and can still make smithing look easy. Good enough, I say." He cracked a smile.

"And thanks for persuading Dwyn to finally come out. He's going to be great help, I just know it."

He went on. "I'll inform Bann Teagan the militia is ready to fight. We'll give those bastards a welcome they won't forget!"

Leliana smiled at his sudden hope. "We're not only ready, Murdock. We're going to win." She spoke confidently.

"I hope you're right. We may just be village folk, but we're going to fight like there's not tomorrow." He leaned in close.

"I've got a good feeling about tonight."

 **!**

 **Yep. I'm ending it there. A bit of a cliffhanger, yeah? I don't have much to say down here, so I'll see you soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

 **Hey all! I hope you're liking the story so far! See you at the bottom!**

 **!**

After talking to Ser Perth and informing him about the oil, they had the rest of the day to kill before sundown.

The group was offered food, and accepted graciously, but picked at it for the most part. In truth, they were nervous about what they were up against. They had tried talking tactics as they meagerly pushed around the food on their plate, but silence always managed to fall back onto them. Seated on the floor near the door of the Chantry managed to put them all on edge, since they were constantly surrounded by cries of sorrow and moans of pain from the refugees and wounded soldiers.

Finally, Leliana stood, a troubled look on her face.

"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon." She said simply, and nodded her farewells to her friends, who cast her worried looks but seemingly let her go without a fight.

The bard walked down through the small village to lake Calenhad, and sat down on the pier. She dangled her feet over the water's edge, and took in the sight of the still water reflecting the dying light of the day. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out deeply, then turned her head to the side.

"I'm not going to drown myself, you know. There's really no reason to follow me." She called out, knowing one of them had tailed her the whole time.

A figure stepped out from behind a large stack of barrels. The woman dusted her outfit off to hide her embarrassment at getting caught, and walked toward Leliana. She sat down next to her on the dock, but left plenty of space in between them.

"I wouldn't have cared, either way. I'd just have to explain to the others why your death wasn't my fault, and well, that wouldn't go over too well with the two buffoons." Morrigan replied with her signature smirk.

Leliana felt butterflies in her stomach, and forced them to be still. "So what brought you out here, then? It can't be the peace and quiet. You do not hesitate to tell me that I talk too much." She asked, smiling weakly

Morrigan ignored her attempt at humor, and turned her head to analyze the rogue's features. "You lied about such a small thing, the qunari, and then with the dwarf? The death threats?" She scoffed.

"It certainly differed from the sickeningly sweet lay sister I know and...tolerate."

Leliana shrugged. "People are not totally good, just as they are not totally evil." She answered simply.

"Talking in riddles may have worked when you were a bard, and your audience drunk, but it will not work on me." The witch responded.

The redhead smiled, and shook her head. "I didn't expect it to. I simply do not wish to answer your question, Morrigan. You do not care to know the answer, so why would I tell you?"

Morrigan seemed offended. "So you would tell the royal bastard and the morose elf mage, then? I'm hurt."

The bard just smiled, and stood, offering the witch a hand to help her up.

"I would not tell them, because it's my burden to bear."

 **!**

They made it inside just in time. Xavier and Alistair rushed up to them once they made it through the doors.

"Enemies have been sighted exiting the castle. It's time." Alistair informed them.

Leliana and Morrigan grabbed their packs, and the group raced out of the chantry, and up to the windmill to they went, the ball of unease that had been resting in Leliana's stomach grew with each step. She felt as though she'd throw up if she stopped moving.

 _The undead?,_ She spoke to herself. _How can this be possible?_

 _Magic._ Her assassin side answered. _The likes of which you've never seen before. Whoever is controlling this is either a powerful mage, or possessed by a demon._

 _Let us hope it is not the latter,_ she replied grimly.

Fog began rolling down the hill from the castle, and in it, hellish creatures, the walking dead, burst from the ground. In their rotting hands were weapons: swords ranging from before the second blight to just recently, and bows that seemed to be held together by an unnatural means. Their cries of anguish tore through the silence of the night, and it was unknown as to whether or not they were remembering their deaths, or in some sort of hellish pain at being awoken.

Xavier and Morrigan provided cover fire, shooting spell after spell at the walking bones that came closer, while Alistair and Leliana assisted the militia in trying to drive them back. Alistair hacked and slashed with a soldier's strategy, heavy handed and exacting, while Leliana never seemed to stop moving, stabbing into weak points in armor and skin, though there wasn't much skin to stab.

Xavier cast a protection ward over the militia, including Leliana and Alistair, just as an archer shot a flaming arrow in the midst of the fighting, lighting the oil that soaked the ground under them on fire. Leliana could feel the flames lapping at her feet, but instead of heat, she felt some sort of cooling sensation creeping into her skin. The blaze ravaged through the dead, and spurred the men and women fighting on, becoming more confident with every enemy falling.

The few that didn't perish in the fire were easily cut down by the militia. They managed to beat them back, and began to cheer, when a messenger ran up to them.

"The monsters are attacking from the lake! They're stacking the barricades! We need help!" He got out in one breath.

Alistair looked back at the remaining militia. "Stay here and guard the path!" With that, they took off running after the messenger. Adrenaline pumped through Leliana's veins as soon as they spied the town square from the hill. A swarm of dead soldiers were assaulting the makeshift barricades put up around the Chantry. It looked like the living soldiers there were fighting a losing battle.

They ran quickly down the path,and dove into combat when they got there.

Xavier cast some protective spells to cover Alistair, and this time, Leliana stayed back with Xavier and Morrigan, firing arrow after arrow at any undead that tried to hit the men. Morrigan began to light the arrows on fire while they were in the air, dropping the enemy twice as fast and setting their surrounding foes ablaze.

Leliana flashed her a quick smile, then went back to it, keeping the undead a safe distance from Alistair's back as he hacked and slashed through. She took no notice of the archer aiming for her.

Suddenly, a familiar pain went through Leliana's leg, causing her to drop her bow.

The undead archer had shot her while she wasn't paying attention. Luckily, it had only hit her leg, and not any internal organs. Leliana could still stand, but couldn't put any weight on it. She grabbed her bow, ignoring the blinding pain she felt. She shot down the archer, and went back to protecting Alistair, gritting her teeth in determination.

Once it looked like Alistair wasn't in any immediate danger, she dropped to her knee, trying to look like she was looking for something so Xavier and Morrigan wouldn't come over and stop protecting the men. She bandaged it as best she could, making a mental note to put Dorothea's lessons to good use when she could. She left the arrow in, not wanting to bleed out, and stood, ignoring the went on fighting, something she'd learned how to do through years of hardships, going at the monsters with renewed vigor.

 **!**

It was dawn when the battle was over, and Leliana finally collapsed after hearing the militia cheer. The pain in her leg had throbbed throughout the battle, but she managed to ignore it until her adrenaline wore off.

Xavier, who was closest, caught her as she fell.

"Leliana! What's..." He noticed the arrow, and the bloody bandage around it.

"Healer! We need a healer!" Xavier called, trying to everyone's attention. She smacked a hand weakly over his mouth to get him to stop, then looked around to see if anyone heard. Luckily, everyone else was too caught up in not being dead to notice. He glared at her, but understood that she didn't want the attention, and brought her inside. She was ghostly pale, and her eyes were only half open. A thin layer of sweat formed over her brow as she tried to focus on the mage's touch, and not the arrow sticking out of her. Xavier placed her gently on the ground, and used his pack to keep her head elevated.

Morrigan came next, followed closely by Alistair, having been seemingly the only people that heard Xavier's call. The two mages looked at one another. From the look of the bandage, she'd lost a lot of blood, and neither one of them wanted to do something to make the wound worse.

"Do you know any healing spells?" Xavier asked.

"I never exactly had a healer for a teacher." She snapped. "Didn't your circle ever teach you any?"

He shook his head grimly. Morrigan stepped forward.

"It cannot be that hard to deal with." She knelt beside the rogue and put a hand on the arrow, moving to pull the thing out.

Leliana put a hand over hers, shaking her head weakly. "I will tell you...how to do it...you must be my hands...please." She took deep breaths every few words.

Morrigan nodded, confused as to why her hand seemed to tingle.

The auburn haired woman guided her hand to the arrow, right where the wood met her flesh.

"Cut it close." She instructed, and Alistair provided a knife from his pack. Xavier held the leg still, while Morrigan gently sawed through the arrow. She froze the end of it to prevent splinters.

"I think you have to pull it out now. Not too fast." Alistair provided.

Leliana nodded. "Have bandages...ready." she groaned, feeling a wave of pain wash over her. The elf in the party pulled two health poultices out of his pack, bringing one gently to the rogue's lips. She drank it greedily, some of it spilling down the corners of her mouth. It tasted minty, and slightly oily, but it immediately numbed the area around her wound, and brought some color back to her face.

Alistair grasped the arrow, and pulled at a moderate tempo. Leliana felt the movement, and winced despite feeling no pain. Morrigan took the other poultice from Xavier and poured it on the bandages, quickly wrapping the hole in the bard's leg once the arrow was out.

When it was over, Leliana stood, feeling her leg protest slightly. She felt better, however, and the health poultices replenished much of the blood she'd lost.

She ignored the pain. "Shall we?" She smiled through it, and lead the way out of the chantry.

 **!**

When they exited, they were met with the rest of the town and militia arranged by the steps, with Bann Teagan standing atop the steps to greet their party.

"Dawn arrives, good people, and we are victorious!" He paused to give ample time for cheering before he went on.

"And it is these good folk beside me that we have to thank for our lives today. Without their heroism, surely we all would have perished." He put in grimly. He turned to face Leliana.

"I bow to you dear Lady. The Maker smiled on us when he sent you here in our darkest hour." He bowed graciously to the bard, then stood.

"Allow me to offer you this." He handed her a large helmet.

"The helm of Sir Ferris the Red, my great uncle and hero of Ferelden. He would approve passing it to one so worthy."

Leliana nodded her thanks. "Thank you, Bann Teagan. I am honored."

He smiled at her. "Take it, then, and use it in good health."

The chantry priestess spoke up just then.

"Let us now our heads and give honor to those who gave their lives in defense of Redcliffe." All the people gathered, except Morrigan, bowed their heads.

"Now they walk with He who is their Maker. Long may they know the peace of His love."

"So let it be." Leliana finished, her eyes bright when she opened them.

Teagan spoke up once more. "With the Maker's favor, the blow we delivered today is enough for me to enter the castle and seek out your arl. Be wary, and watch out for signs of a new attack."

He turned to the group. "Now, we have no time to waste. Meet me at the mill. We can talk further there."

 **!**

As they headed to the mill, Alistair chimed in worriedly.

"Are you sure you should be going on this, Leliana? That wasn't just a flesh wound."

Leliana smiled. "I am fine, Alistair. You sound like an old chantry maid." She teased him.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Fair enough. But I'm not the one carrying you when your leg gives out. You look heavy."

The rogue grinned, and swatted his chest. The two mages didn't chime in, both thinking the same thing, though only Xavier knew why he thought so.

 _If I knew any healing spells, she'd be okay. I let them down._

 **!**

They made it up to the windmill, Leliana not noticing how steep of a climb it was until they got there, and talked to Teagan. He was looking out at Redcliffe Castle.

"Odd how quiet it looks from here. You would think there was nobody inside at all." He remarked to himself. He turned to face them.

"But I shouldn't delay things further. I had a plan...to enter the castle after the village was secure."

He gestured to the mill. "There's a secret passage in there, accessible only to my family."

Xavier cocked his head. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

Teagan looked ashamed. "I knew you would choose to enter the castle instead of staying in the village, and we needed warriors. I'm sorry if I-" he cut himself off, pointing to the path to the castle.

"Maker's breath!"

A woman, in a noble dress, and a knight came running towards him.

"Teagan!" The woman exclaimed, her accent similar to a friend Leliana had. "Thank the Maker you yet live!"

He hugged her tightly. "Isolde! You're alive! How did you...? What has happened?"

She broke away. "I do not have much time to explain. I slipped away from the castle as soon as I saw the battle was over, and I must return quickly." She looked down.

"And I need you to return with me, Teagan. Alone."

Morrigan crossed her arms. "You don't really seem very concerned with what happened here."

"What?" She turned, and regarded Morrigan with almost as much disdain as Morrigan to her. "Who is this woman, Teagan?"

Alistair sighed, and stepped forward. "You remember me, right Lady Isolde?"

She recoiled. "Alistair? Of all the...why are _you_ here?"

Teagan stepped in. "They are Grey Wardens, Isolde. I owe them my life."

She blinked. "Pardon me, then. I...I would exchange pleasantries, but...considering the circumstances..."

Alistair regarded her curiously. "Please, Lady Isolde...we had no idea anyone was even alive within the castle. We must have some answers!"

She ignored him, and turned to Teagan. "I know you need more of an explanation but I...don't know what is safe to tell. Teagan, there is a terrible evil within the castle. The dead awaken and hunt the living. The mage responsible was caught, but it still continues."

She looked down. "And I think...Connor has gone mad. We have survived but he won't fell the castle. He has seen so much death!"

She caught his gaze once more. "You must help him, Teagan. You are his uncle. You could reason with him. I do not know what else to do!"

Leliana stared coldly at the woman. She didn't like her in the least. "So why must Teagan go alone?"

"For Connor's sake, I promised I would return quickly and only with Teagan." She explained.

 _I don't like this_ , assassin Leliana hissed. _And I don't trust this woman_. 

"Promised?" Teagan cut in. "Whom did you promise?"

"Something the mage unleashed. So far it allows Connor, myself, and Eamon to live. The others...were not so fortunate. It killed so many, and turned their bodies into walking nightmares! Once it was done with the castle, it struck the village!" She began to cry.

"It wants us to live, but I do not know why. It allowed me to come for you, Teagan, because I begged, because I said Connor needed help."

"Why do I get the feeling you aren't em telling us everything?" Xavier asked.

"I...I beg your pardon! That's a rather impertinent accusation!" She glared at him like he was something she'd stepped in.

"Impertinent for a mage, you mean?" He crossed his arms.

Her eyes widened. "No! I did not mean...that is to say...I...please, stop this!"

She took a breath. "An evil I cannot fathom holds my son and husband hostage! I came for help! What more do you want from me?"

Turning back to Teagan, she pleaded. "I do not have much time! What if it thinks I'm betraying it? It could kill Connor! Please come back with me...must I beg?"

"We need to decide what to do." Leliana said finally.

Teagan stepped next to Isolde. "The King is dead, and we need my brother now more than ever. I will return to the castle with you, Isolde."

She seemed to collapse with relief. "Oh...thank the Maker! Bless you, Teagan! Bless you!"

"This is a mistake. You're going to get yourself killed." Xavier pointed out.

He turned to the elf. "I cannot let Isolde return home alone. Perhaps I can help Connor or Eamon. Perhaps this is really a trap, but this is my family. I must try."

He went on. "I have no illusions of dealing with this demon alone. You, on the other hand, have proven quite formidable." He addressed the four of them.

He then turned back to Isolde. "Can you excuse us for a minute? I must confer in private before I return to the castle with you."

"Please do not take too long. I will wait by the bridge." She walked off, leaving the five of them alone.

"Here's what I propose." He stepped closer to them. "I go in with Isolde and you enter the castle using the secret passage. My signet ring unlocks the door. Perhaps I can distract whatever is inside and increase your chances of getting in unnoticed. What do you say?"

"What exactly are we supposed to do in there?" Morrigan asked.

"I wish I knew. I don't know any more about this 'evil force' than Isolde seems to. Ser Perth and his men can watch for danger at the castle entrance. If you can open the gates from within, they can move in and help you." He handed over his signet ring.

"If all else fails, Eamon is the most important. Get him out. Everyone else, me, Isolde, anyone, we're expendable."

Leliana took the ring. "I don't believe that. I will rescuer you all. You have my word."

"You're a good woman. The Maker smiled on me indeed when He sent you to Redcliffe." He smiled tightly, and joined Isolde.

The four of them entered the small windmill when they left, and walked to where a barrel and some hay were pushed out of the way, revealing a large trapdoor. Leliana slid the ring into the lock, and turned.

A soft _click!_ was heard, and the door swung in on itself, revealing a ladder that lead down to what was most likely a long passageway.

Alistair went down first, with Xavier close behind to provide light, then Leliana, then Morrigan, who shut the door before they left.

Leliana began to limp, and slowly fell behind as she tried to find a poultice in her bag. Morrigan wordlessly came up beside her, and wrapped the rogue's arm around her shoulders, supporting her. Leliana nodded her thanks, and found one with her free hand, popping the cork with her thumb and downing the contents greedily.

She felt better immediately, and rather reluctantly pulled her arm back. She convinced herself that Morrigan only did it to keep her moving along, ignoring the way the witch seemed to lean into her touch, and the fact that their hands were clasped with one another.

 **!**

 **Another chapter down! What did you think? I'd love to know in the comments below! I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


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